Like A Star
by Zandra Dae
Summary: COMPLETE! Now an AU story, this still takes place in Harry and Co's 5th year. Chapter 47 is up. Train rides, O.W.L.'s results, a pissed off Mandy, and a very large snake.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: If I was JKR, I would be writing the real books. NOT fanfiction. 

**Thanks to Natalie for beta'ing this for me.**

Italics denote Ron 

Bold print denotes Hermione 

Underlining denotes Harry 

CAPS DENOTE THE WEASLEY TWINS

That being said:

*********

Harry rolled over and looked at his alarm clock. 8:15 a.m.

"Happy Birthday to me," he thought. He lay flat on his back and stared at the ceiling, rubbing a fist lazily across his eyes. His thoughts almost started to wander but he was interrupted by something tapping at his bedroom window. He had already received birthday owls from Sirius and Hagrid at midnight, so he supposed this one was from Hermione or Ron. He reached over from his spot on his bed and undid the latch on the window. A large eagle owl flew in and stood on Harry's bedside table. The owl looked much like Malfoy's

"Why in the world is that wanker writing me?" Harry wondered aloud. The owl looked slightly hurt, that is, as much as an owl can. Harry undid the letter from the owl's leg and unrolled it.

**Harry**

The handwriting was unmistakably Hermione's. 

"Malfoy's kidnapped Hermione," came Harry's first thought, but he continued reading.

**Harry,**

**Happy 15th birthday. I hope Sebastian didn't give you much of a scare, as he does look quite a bit like Malfoy's owl. My parents bought him for me as a reward for being made prefect, so I didn't get a say in what he looks like. At any rate, how has your summer been? Mine has been all right, if not slightly boring. I can't believe we're all prefects this year!**

Harry had received his letter a few days before, saying that, due to special circumstances, he, Hermione, and Ron had all been made prefects. 

**Anyway. I was mainly writing to tell you that my parents want to get to know you, Ron, and Ginny. As Mrs. Weasley has already invited us to the Burrow on August 10th, my parents would like the three of you to come visit from the first till the day we go to the Burrow.**

"How do I ask the Dursley's about this one?" Harry wondered.

**As the trip is part of a birthday present to you and Ron (although his birthday isn't for a while,) Ginny and I have already arranged everything with the Weasley's. Ron will be finding out today, too. My parents don't really understand about the Dursley's though, so they said we had to have their permission too.**

"Oh Shit!"

**However, if they don't let you come, Fred and George said to be prepared for a "Twin-style" break out sometime tonight. Also, Dumbledore said you visiting was perfectly okay.**

"Just like Hermione to think of everything."

**At any rate, I'll see you tomorrow if the twins manage to get you out in one piece. I have no clue what they've planned. Good Luck**

** Love Always,**

** Hermione**

By the time Harry had finished reading Hermione's letter, a dignified looking barn owl had joined Sebastian on the nightstand and a feather covered tennis ball rocketed around the ceiling fan.

"Harry!" Uncle Vernon roared. Pig was making more noise than an owl of his stature should physically be capable of making. Harry's bedroom door banged open and Harry's red, porcine Uncle waddled into the room,

"Yes, Uncle Vernon?" Harry asked, as innocently as he could manage.

"Get the ruddy owls out of here or leave!" Vernon roared.

"Will tomorrow be soon enough?" Harry asked, quite seriously.

"Absolutely not! You're not going to see any of those friends of yours from that school!" Vernon's head turned a darker shade of purple as he spoke. 

"I'm going and you'll not stop me!" Harry countered. He stood to face his uncle. At his full height, Harry was a good six inches taller than Vernon, but Vernon was twice Harry's width. Vernon stepped towards Harry. Harry reached over to his bedside table and picked up a stick Hedwig had carried in two days earlier. The stick was, conveniently enough shaped somewhat like a wand so he pointed it at Vernon. Vernon turned on his heel and ran from the room, squealing like a little girl. Harry turned back to the owls. Pig was still flying around like someone had put coffee in his water dish, so Harry took the letter from the barn owl.

Harry,

We'll be there at three in the afternoon. Have all of your things in your trunk and leave it right under your bedroom window. This is imperative for our plan to work… well… as planned. 

Fred & George

The letter scared Harry a bit more. Fred and George never gave warning when they were going to play any sort of prank. 

"Pig! Get down here!" Harry shouted at the caffeine infused tennis ball. The tiny owl rocketed into Harry's outstretched palm. He removed the owl's letter and released him again.

_Harry,_

_We're going to Hermione's! Bill, George, and Fred will be there at three today to pick you up. Be ready. You'll stay here tonight and we'll floo to Hermione's in the morning. Happy Birthday!_

_ Ron_

Harry grabbed a quill and drafted quick replies to Ron and the twins simply to get Pig out of his room. Then he went to work on a longer letter to Hermione.

Hermione,

Evidently the twins and Bill are breaking me out of here later today. I'm only slightly worried that I've been forewarned and Bill is involved. "At any rate" this birthday hasn't been so bad so far. I pointed a stick at Vernon. He thought it was my wand and flipped. My summer has been relatively boring. I run a lot to keep in shape and that's about it. Thank you for planning all of this out for me. This is all for now.

Love Always,

Harry 

Hedwig emitted a rather irritated hoot from her cage on Harry's desk. Harry noticed that the three "strange" owls had eaten most of her food and drank all of her water. He set himself to refilling her food and water when a flying dust mop collapsed onto Harry's bed. Harry instantly recognized the ball of feathers as the Weasley family owl, Errol. He flipped Errol onto his back and pulled a piece of parchment from the owl's leg

Harry,

Under no circumstances are the Dursley's to know that you're expecting visitors or even really that you're planning on leaving. It's imperative to the success of the plan. Keep Errol there with Hedwig. We'll get him this afternoon, as flying back would most likely kill him. Again, not a word to your family.

George and Fred

Harry's fear of the twins plot increased with the arrival of the latest letter. Luckily, his aunt shrieking "BREAKFAST" from the bottom of the stairs moved him from his thoughts. He slowly walked down to the dining room. The Dursley's were already gathered in the room. Vernon and Dudley both had their heads half-buried in plates of eggs and bacon. 

"Good morning!" Harry exclaimed cheerfully on his way to the refrigerator. He poured himself a glass of orange juice and joined his uncle and cousin at the table. Dudley's diet had been abandoned, as he didn't bother to stick to it at Smeltings. Dudley warranted Harry's presence with a grunt, but Vernon pretended not to notice him. Petunia scooped the last of the bacon and eggs onto a plate for herself and threw Harry a couple of pieces of cold, dry toast. Harry chewed on the toast while his relatives conversed as though he wasn't sitting right there.

"Marge is coming to visit next week," Vernon said, smiling at Petunia.

"Whatever shall we do with Harry?" Petunia asked.

"Send him to school early," Dudley suggested.

"Marge will like him to be right here where she can see him at all times. He can make himself useful. With her knee like it is, she needs someone to watch Ripper. Harry can do it," Vernon said, a tone of finality in his voice.

"I'll not," Harry insisted.

"You will too," Vernon said, glaring at Harry.

"It will be good for you. Teach you some responsibility," Petunia added. 

"Heaven knows he doesn't get enough of that at that school of his," Vernon muttered under his breath.

"I'm leaving for Hermione's later this afternoon. I'm leaving for Hermione's later this afternoon," became Harry's silent mantra in the wake of his aunt and uncle's comments. "I'm going upstairs," Harry said, grabbing his toast and orange juice and leaving the room really before Vernon or Petunia could protest. Harry took the steps two at a time and locked himself in his room so he could pack relatively undisturbed.

Undisturbed, he was. Vernon headed to work shortly after the episode at breakfast. Dudley settled down for yet another long day in front of the TV. Petunia went out to "water the garden," but only in the sense that she held the water hose as she peered into the back yard of her neighbors. Harry busied himself in packing all of his school things and arranging Errol and Hedwig both in Hedwig's cage. Finally he decided to send Hedwig ahead to the Burrow with a letter to Ron so that Errol could have the smallish (for two full grown owls) cage to himself. He hardly noticed how long packing was taking, as he had to make sure he emptied each and every hiding spot in his room. Finally, at 1:30, the growling in the pit of his stomach became more important than his packing, so he snuck downstairs for a sandwich. Dudley hadn't moved from his position in front of the TV. Petunia had moved around to the front of the house to water the roses and spy on the neighbors across the street. Harry made himself a jelly, banana and cheese sandwich in relative peace, and then went back upstairs to finish his packing. At 2:45, Harry dragged his trunk and Hedwig's cage, containing Errol over to his window and began pacing. About five minutes till three, Vernon arrived home from work and he and Petunia joined Dudley in the TV room for a few minutes conversation on how their respective days had been. Harry took to nervously peering out his bedroom window hoping it would give him an early glimpse of the twins and their older brother. He wasn't quite sure, though, that the twins would actually first show up in the area he could see from his window. 

At exactly 3:00, a typical muggle police car pulled up in front of the Dursley's household. Well, the car would have been typical had the setting been 1950's America. As it was, the 1954 model car looked sorely out of place on Privet Drive. Harry immediately paid more attention to the car and its occupants. Three policemen exited the car. Harry knew instantly who the three were from the tufts of fiery red hair sticking out below the hats of two of the policemen, and the long red pony tail hanging down the back of the third. Unfortunately, whoever had transfigured the police outfits had made them look like something, again, straight from the 1950's. Harry dropped his head into his hands at the dismal state of his "rescuers". Then again, he was thinking about the Weasley twins. Titles like "the best pranksters since the marauders" weren't necessarily easy to come by. 

A sharp knocking at the downstairs door interrupted his thoughts. He crept closer to his door so he could hear what was happening.

"May I help you?" Vernon asked the two antiquated police men he found on the other side of his door.

"We're here to arrest Harry Potter," came the voice of a Weasley twin. Harry wasn't quite sure which had spoken. 

"Arrest?" Petunia gasped.

"Yes, arrest," came the same voice as before.

"What has he done now?" Vernon queried. 

"He's wanted for, for," the other Weasley twin stuttered to make up an excuse.

"He's wanted for a particularly gruesome matter involving a toaster, a spork, a hamster, and several human eyeballs" came the first twin's lie. Harry could only imagine the looks on the Dursley's faces.

"He's upstairs," Dudley said, smiling broadly, and pointing towards the stairs. A minute later, Harry found himself faced with Fred and George Weasley. They both smiled broadly at him through thick, orangey-red handle bar moustaches. 

"You're under arrest!" Fred called loudly in the general direction of the stairs.

"Cause a stink," George whispered under his breath. Bill crawled in through the window. Harry did the first thing that came to mind and kicked his metal wastebasket into a corner. This gave Bill enough time and sound cover to both shrink and lighten Harry's trunk and the owl cage. He slipped the two miniature objects into his pocket and crawled back out of the window as quickly and silently has he had entered. Harry kicked the wastebasket again. 

"Do we need reinforcements!?" George yelled at the steps.

"No wait George, our reinforcement probably hasn't finished climbing back down the drain pipe!" Fred hissed under his breath. George looked scared. Harry, not knowing what to do, kicked the wastebasket one more time.

"Do something besides kick the bloody trash can!" George hissed at Harry.

"GET OUT OF MY ROOM!" Harry screamed. He grabbed a book off of his desk and tossed it into the wall. 

"You're under arrest!" Fred insisted towards the stairs. "What's he under arrest for again?" he hissed to George.

"A spork, a toaster, a hamster, and some eyeballs," George replied. 

"Damn George, why didn't you come up with something better than that?" Fred asked. Harry took the opportunity to look out the window.

"Guys, your reinforcement is back at the car," he hissed right before he crawled under his bed.

"What are you doing?" Fred asked as George sprinted from the room screaming something about reinforcements. 

"Making you need a reinforcement," Harry replied before fully withdrawing into the dusty space below his bed. Fred hung his head out the window.

"REIFORCEMENTS! HURRY UP! HE'S GONE UNDER THE BED!" he bellowed for the entire neighborhood to hear. Harry had to work to suppress his laughter. 

"I have to warn you, he is deranged," came Vernon's passive voice as footsteps, presumably George and Bill's, drew closer to the stairs. George and Bill ran into Harry's room equally breathless.

"Right you, out from under the bed! On the order of the, the," stuttered Bill.

"The police chief," hissed Harry.

"On the order of the police chief!" Bill called at the stairs. George and Fred grabbed either end of the bed frame and shook it violently. Harry rolled out from under the bed, taking Fred's feet with him as he rolled. Fred fell forward and split his head open on the headboard of the bed. Blood trickled down next to his right eye.

"Oh gosh Fred, I'm sorry!" Harry whispered as he and Fred both stood back up.

"HE GOT ME!" Fred screeched for the benefit of the audience at the bottom of the stairs. George tried to kick the wastebasket, but missed and kicked a hole into the wall. 

"Hey wait, you said I couldn't do that," Harry hissed. George smiled sheepishly and pulled a pair of handcuffs from his pocket.

"Now if one of you could just figure out what to do with these band-fluffs," he began, holding them out in front of his face as though they smelled horrible. 

"They're hand-cuffs, George! Give them here!" Harry insisted. He took the handcuffs from George and snapped them onto his own wrists behind his back. He screamed and laughed maniacally as he did so, and George kicked the wastebasket again, this time with his other foot. 

"Take that!" Fred called, in an almost dead-on Sir Cadogan impression. Bill grabbed Harry's shoulder roughly and half marched, half shoved him down the stairs. Fred and George followed closely. Fred still had blood over his eye, and George was limping slightly from the blow to the wall. Bill pulled Harry around the corner and into view of his family. Harry hung his head and stumbled along, trying to look the part of a true criminal. 

"Shouldn't you read him his rights?" Dudley asked. He looked at the twins rather suspiciously. 

"Shouldn't you nose out?" Fred replied quite acerbically.

"I KNOW you guys!" Dudley exclaimed. 

"You should. We're your neighborhood police men," George replied.

"No, you're Harry's friends from that freak school that were here last summer!" Dudley said, pointing a pudgy finger at the twins. 

"What school?" Fred asked, but at that moment the adhesive charm holding his moustache on his face decided to run out. Fred's moustache tumbled to the floor. George clamped his hands to his face to make sure his moustache stayed in place. 

"He's right!" Vernon roared at the twins. Bill and Harry quickened their pace towards the car. If anything, Harry was dragging Bill. The neighbors certainly had a sight to behold, as criminals don't usually seem eager to jump into police cars and moustaches certainly don't fall off in once piece and roll around in the floor. 

"RUN!" Bill cried from out in the yard. Fred didn't need to be told twice, but at George's foot was still a little sore, he didn't escape Vernon Dursley's grasp. Harry dove into the front seat of the car next to Bill who was in the driver's seat. Fred jumped through an open window to land in the backseat. He immediately scooted over so George would have room. Only then did he realize that George hadn't followed him.

"Fred, do something!" Bill exclaimed.

"What?" Fred asked

"You're the brains behind this operation!" Bill cried.

"You're the magic!" Fred insisted. 

"They're muggle," Harry reminded his friend. Luckily for all of them, George devised his own spur of the moment plan. He pulled the moustache from his face and stuck it up Vernon's nose. Vernon's hands immediately let go of George and went to his face. He was overcome with a round of sneezing. George took his opportunity and half ran, half hopped over to the car. He opened the door and slid into the backseat next to Fred. Bill jammed the gas pedal to the floor and the car took off towards the end of the street amidst the sounds of screeching rubber and screaming Dursley's. 

"That was close," Fred exclaimed from the backseat.

"You're telling me," George said. He rubbed his wrist where Vernon had initially taken hold of him. 

"Seriously Fred, 'you're the magic?'" Bill asked. 

"Leave me alone, I don't do well in situations like those without a wand," Fred spat. 

"Touchy," Bill muttered.

"Thanks guys, but, can we, uh, get me out of these things?" Harry asked. His hands were still cuffed behind his back. 

"Sure," Bill replied. He took both hands off the wheel of the car and pulled his wand out of his pocket. He pointed it at Harry's hands and muttered "Finite Incantatem." Instantly the handcuffs dissolved. In their place were two glittery pink bracelets.

"We borrowed them from Ginny to make the handcuffs," George explained.

"She hasn't worn them since she was a little kid," Fred added. Harry tugged at both bracelets with no avail. Both lacked clasps so the only way off was over his hands. Neither would budge.

"Way to go captain obvious. Now how do you three propose I get these off?" Harry asked. He tugged at the bracelets again.

"We don't," Bill replied, grinning evilly. 

"We don't?" George asked.

"We don't!" exclaimed Fred, glaring at his twin.

"Oh, right, we don't," George and Fred's twin smiles equaled Bill's in evilness. 

"You mean you're going to rescue me but then stick me wearing glittery pink bracelets?" Harry asked.

"Something to that effect," Bill laughed. Fred and George joined in his laughter, but Harry scowled at the three of them. 

"Fine then, I think they're stylish," Harry said, leaning back in the seat and admiring his bracelets. He closed his eyes and thought about the offending metal on his wrists. He pictured them both with clasps, and then concentrated on the images as hard as he could. He tried to direct his thoughts toward the actual bracelets, as he would if he had been using a wand. He was still surprised, though, when he felt both bracelets transforming on his wrists. He opened his eyes and examined the clasps he had just created on his bracelets. Quickly he undid both of them and handed them to Bill, who was only half concentrating on driving. 

"Here you go," he said. Bill took the bracelets.

"How in hell did you do that?" Bill asked, examining the clasps on the bracelets. 

"Harry just did wandless magic!" Fred and George exclaimed.

"What would you two goofs know about wandless magic?" Bill asked.

"We know enough to know that it is possible with enough concentration. And it looks as though Harry has just done some," Fred explained.

"Fred, have you actually been reading your summer homework?" Bill asked. He looked over his shoulder at his younger brother in the backseat. 

"So what if I have?" Fred asked, glaring at Bill.

"I haven't touched a book since we left Hogwarts!" George exclaimed proudly. Bill wheeled the car into the driveway of a house and pulled around into the back yard.

"What are we doing at Ms. Figg's house?" Harry asked. He was more than a bit surprised to find himself in an antiquated police car in the back yard of his childhood babysitter.

"Ms. Figg is really Arabella Figg. She was friends with your parents when they were in school and she has been living here posing as a babysitter since you came to live here. Mainly to keep a watch on you and such. Added precaution, really," Bill exclaimed as he climbed out of the car. Harry, Fred and George did the same.

"We're going to floo back to the Burrow from here," Fred explained. 

"What about the car?" Harry asked.

"Finite Incantatem," Bill said, almost lazily. The car shrank in size to a small model car. 

"Ron's," Fred explained as he pocketed the toy. 

"Yeah, what did you think of the police man idea?" George asked.

"Well, your costumes were a bit out of the time period," Harry admitted.

"That's what I told Ron. He's been working for this muggle chap in town and on lunch break they watch American police shows. Evidently, they're old American cop shows because he insisted that this is how police men really look," Fred muttered as the four of them headed into Ms. Figg's house. 

"Bella!" Bill exclaimed and threw his arms around the woman who let them in the house. She really looked nothing like Harry's old babysitter. She was tall, about 5'6" with chestnut hair that hung to the bottom of her shoulder blades. Her hair wasn't stick straight, but not curly either, more just kind of bouncy. She had bright blue eyes set in smooth white skin. She was very slim, and wore muggle jeans and a green tank top, making her look much younger than her 30-something years. 

"Bill Weasley!" Ms. Figg exclaimed.

"How are you?" Bill asked.

"I'm doing well. It's nice to be able to not be an old woman once in a while," Ms. Figg replied. Bill noticed the quizzical look on Harry's face.

"Polyjuice," he explained. "Arabella and all of these cats would look sorely out of place if she looked like this all of the time."

"Won't you boys sit down and have some tea?" Arabella asked. She led the four of them into her kitchen. They all took seats around the small kitchen table as Arabella set herself to making tea for all of them. 

"So how do you know Ms. Figg?" Harry asked Bill.

"Please Harry, when I look like this, call me Arabella. Ms. Figg makes me feel old."

"So how do you know Arabella?" Harry rephrased his question.

"Bella was three years older than me in school. She was a year younger than the marauders and your mother, but she and Lily were still close friends, as Lily got sick of both her roommates and hanging out with all boys," Bill explained. 

"Bill was a little cutie who would do what we said and usually didn't ask any questions. Made some of our pranks quite a success, really," Arabella replied.

"So you knew my parents?" Harry asked.

"So you pranked with the infamous Marauders?" Fred and George asked at the same time.

"Yes, and yes," Bill replied, smiling at the three younger boys. Harry silently digested the information and made a mental note to question Bill further when not so many people were present. Fred and George instantly launched into a round of questions about what made the marauders so good at what they did. Both Bill and Arabella collapsed into laughter at the twins' enthusiasm. Soon enough, the tea was done and Arabella presented them each with a cup and then took a seat next to Bill. She and Bill proceeded to tell the twins all about some of the Marauders' more famous pranks. Harry half listened to the conversation, but thought more about the fact that Bill Weasley actually knew his parents. He was slightly amazed that he hadn't realized before the possibility that Bill had gone to school with his parents. Bill, who had been a ready source for the past year, ever since he had met him at the World Cup last year really, had known his parents when they were still in school.

"Harry?" Fred asked.

"Harry?" George echoed, waving a hand in front of Harry's face.

"HARRY!" Bill exclaimed, slamming his hand on the table and rattling the teacups. This broke Harry out of his trance. 

"Uh, yes?" Harry asked.

"Are you ready to go to the Burrow?" Bill asked.

"Oh, sure. Thanks for the tea Ms. Fi-, I mean Arabella," Harry stuttered. He stood up and smoothed his muggle clothing. 

"Not a problem Harry. If you're back at the Dursley's next summer, you'll have to come visit me sometime," Arabella said warmly. She enveloped the young boy in a hug. Harry missed the jealous look on Bill's face, but Fred and George didn't. They smiled deviously at each other. Harry moved towards the fireplace and Bill instantly stepped towards Arabella. 

"Bella, it's been great seeing you!" he said, and hugged her again.

"It's been nice seeing you, too, Bill Weasley," Arabella said, returning his hug. 

"Can I owl you sometime?" Bill asked.

"Of course, anytime," Arabella said. They still hadn't let go of each other. Harry took notice of the looks Fred and George were shooting each other. These looks were accompanied by much eyebrow raising on both of the twins' parts, and some kissing of the back of his hand on George's part. Fred and Harry collapsed in silent laughter. 

"BILL!" Fred finally shouted.

"FLOO!" George added, and they both looked expectantly at Harry. Finally Fred mouthed the word home.

"Oh, uh, HOME!" Harry said, at the same volume Fred and George had. 

"Ron and Ginny know what to say in that case," George said, laughing at Harry's stuttering. 

"Do I have red hair?" Harry asked, "And on the other hand, am I a girl?" Bill finally let go of Arabella. Arabella ran into the kitchen and returned a moment later with a tin of coffee. She pulled the lid off of it and held the tin out to the twins. Harry noticed it was full of floo powder.

"So my muggle visitors don't get suspicious," Arabella explained when she noticed Harry eyeing the coffee tin. Fred and George both grabbed handfuls of floo powder and stepped towards the fireplace. "Send Bill next," Fred mouthed as he and George both threw their floo powder into the fire Bill had conjured in the fireplace. The fireplace instantly grew to a size big enough to accommodate Hagrid and Fred and George stepped in. "THE BURROW!" they both shouted, and they were instantly swept out of sight. 

"Right Harry, in you go," Bill said.

"Uh, actually Bill, I want to ask Ms. Arabella something rather personal. So if you could you please go next?" Harry asked. He was amazed at how smoothly his lie had come out. Bill and Arabella both looked slightly disappointed by Harry's insistence on sending Bill first, but Bill grudgingly accepted the floo powder.

"See you later, Arabella," he said sweetly as he stepped into the roaring green flames.

"Bye Bill," she said with a sweet wave. He waved back and then disappeared after saying "the burrow."

"So what did you need to ask me?" Arabella asked Harry when they were finally alone.

"Actually, nothing. The twins told me to send Bill first," Harry sheepishly admitted.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER!" Arabella shouted. Harry grabbed a handful of floo powder and jumped into the fireplace. 

"Bye Ms. F-, Arabella!" Harry said sweetly. "THE BURROW!" At the last moment he remembered to grab his glasses and hold them to his face. The last thing he saw was Arabella standing in her living room with her hand on her hip glaring at Harry like he was the scum of the earth. 

Seconds later, Harry found himself lying at the feet of Mrs. Weasley, Ron, and Ginny.

"Where are Bill and the twins?" he asked as he stood up. Ron and Ginny both pointed out the kitchen window into the garden. Mrs. Weasley busied herself with brushing the soot and ashes off of Harry. 

"What happened?" Harry asked. He watched as Fred and George ran by at a break neck speed followed closely by Bill.

"Fred and George were doing an 'oh Bill,' 'oh Arabella,' kissing act when Bill popped out of the fire place," Ron explained.

"Care to tell us what that was about?" Ginny asked.

"Uh, well, Bill and Ms. Arabella seemed really happy to see each other when we got to her house to use the fireplace," Harry explained. The three teenagers turned so they could watch Bill and the twins through different windows looking out on a different side of the house. Bill finally managed to catch George and tackled him to the ground. George's mouth flew open in a silent scream, and Fred turned back and jumped on Bill. Soon the three boys were rolling around in a ball of dust, limbs, and red hair rivaled only by those seen on cartoons.

"Man, it's great to be home," Harry thought to himself. 


	2. Chapter 2

Darn. The Polyjuice Potion wore off. Now I don't own anything

Thanks again to Nat for beta'ing this!

Also: **Harry**, Ginny, _Ron_, FRED AND GEORGE (you'll see why this is necessary when you get to the letter)

*****

"Hermione! Hurry up and finish cleaning your room!" Jo Granger called up the stairs to her only daughter. 

"Mum, my friends won't be here until tomorrow! Why are you insisting on me cleaning my room today?" Hermione asked. She finished arranging the books on her bookshelf back into alphabetical order and scratched Crookshanks between his ears. 

"Come down and talk to me when you're finished," Jo replied. Hermione surveyed her room and deemed it clean enough so she jumped to her feet and smoothed the green bandana that covered her long reddish brown hair. She ran down stairs and found her mother sitting in an already spotless den with a large book spread across her knees.

"You needed to talk?" Hermione asked, flopping down onto the couch next to her mother in one of the least dignified ways possible. She tugged her white tank top down over her stomach as it slid up when she sat down. 

"Yes. I just thought you'd like to know that your cousins will be arriving in about thirty minutes. They will be staying for the next two weeks while their parents attend to some business in America," Jo said, not looking up from her book. Hermione's jaw dropped and she turned to look at her mother. 

"Please Hermione, I'm quite proud of your dental work, after all, I did it myself, but I really don't need to see it."

"You let me invite my friends to my house while bane, bother, and bit- female dog are going to be here?" 

"Hermione Granger, your cousins names are Ben, Braeden, and Brantley!" Jo reprimanded. 

"Bane, bother and bitch suit them better," Hermione muttered under her breath. Needless to say, she wasn't fond of her cousins, at all. In fact, they quite reminded her of Draco Malfoy. At least, Ben, Braeden and Brantley Granger had about the same holier-than-thou attitude Malfoy possessed. They thought they were God's gift to earth and Hermione was toenail fuzz because they went to a prestigious boarding school in France. 

"HERMIONE LENORE GRANGER! DO YOU WANT ME TO CANCEL YOUR FRIENDS INVITATIONS HERE?" Jo asked.

"No mother. I'll be nice to Ben, Braeden and Brantley. But, um, you do realize that Ginny and Ron may be a little out of place, and we're probably going to have to do a lot of creative explaining over some of their actions. They've never exactly been in a non wizarding house before," Hermione explained.

"I'm sure they'll be just fine. The boys will probably stick to themselves, and you won't have to entertain them because you'll be busy with your little friends," Jo said.

"Are you sure you're ready for two teenage wizards, two teenage witches, and three dumb boys in this house at once?" Hermione asked. 

"Hermione, stop worrying, I'm sure everything will be just fine," Jo reassured her daughter. She dropped an arm around Hermione's shoulders and squeezed her lightly. "And if things start going weird, you only have to deal with your cousins for 10 days."

"Why can't they just stay home? Isn't Ben 18 by now?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, Ben had his 18th birthday in May, but you know how teenage boys can be. I'm sure your aunt and uncle didn't want to leave the two younger boys in Ben's care, and I can't say I necessarily blame them."

"When did you'd say they'd be here?" Hermione asked.

"In about 20 minutes now," Jo replied, looking at her watch. 

"How early can Harry and Ron and Ginny come in the morning?" Hermione asked.

"Actually, the earlier the better. Your aunt said the boys usually sleep until about 10, so that way your friends can floo in un-noticed. In fact I sent Sebastian to them saying to try to be here around eight," Jo explained.

"Great, so I only have to spend a little while with just my cousins?" Hermione asked.

"Yes Hermione, only a little while," Jo reassured. 

"So where will everyone sleep?" Hermione asked.

"Well, I figured Ginny could have the guest room right next to yours, and Harry and Ron can have the one across the hall. Your dad put up twin beds in there for them. Ben, Braeden and Brantley will sleep downstairs in the basement," Jo said. 

"So they'll be far enough away from my friends," Hermione said. 

"Yes honey." Jo never finished her sentence because the doorbell rang loudly, interrupting their conversation. Before Jo could even move, the doorbell rang again and by the time she was on her feet it had sounded a third time.

"I think they're here," Hermione muttered. She didn't sound excited at all.

"I think they are too," Jo said as the doorbell rang for the fifth time. Jo headed towards the front door and Hermione followed her mother. Jo threw open the front door just in time to see a Mercedes speed off down the road with a blonde woman waving from the passengers side window. Three boys stood in height order on the front porch in front of Jo and Hermione. 

"Aunt Jo!" The tallest exclaimed. He was about 6'0" and built like a basketball center, tall and very lanky. His short blonde hair was gelled perfectly into place, with most of it laying flat to his head but the very front part sticking up.

"Braeden!" Jo exclaimed. Of all Hermione's cousins, Braeden was probably the easiest to tolerate, though he wasn't necessarily even nice.

"Hi Aunt Jo," the boy standing next to Braeden said. He waved at his aunt. Ben was only about two inches shorter than his younger brother, and he was built more like a football fullback; tall and muscular but stockier than Braeden. He had the same blonde hairstyle as Braeden but his eyes were a lighter shade of brown. 

"HERMIE!" Brantley squealed. At thirteen, he was the youngest and smallest of the three boys. He had messy blondish brown curls and bright blue eyes. His nose was peppered with freckles. He was about 5'2", as he hadn't really started growing, but was built more like Braeden than Ben. He smiled and waved at his cousin, while the two older boys looked down their noses and snarled at her.

"My name is Hermione," Hermione spat, glaring at her youngest cousin. 

"Hermione," Jo warned, glaring at her daughter. "Right this way boys, I'll show you your room." Jo led the three boys into the house and towards the kitchen where the basement stairs were located. Ben, Braeden and Brantley all three left their suitcases on the front porch. 

"Hermione, if you could grab those for us," Ben called over his shoulder as he disappeared around the corner with his aunt and brothers. Hermione glared at him, then looked at the suitcases. As the boys could no longer see her, she rolled her eyes and shut the front door, leaving their luggage where it was. Then she ran upstairs to her room to read until dinnertime. She pulled Advanced Transfiguration off of her bookshelf and sank into the cushions on her window seat with the large book. 

*****

"Hermione, Ben, Braeden, Brantley! Dinner!" Weston Granger called from the kitchen. Hermione looked up from the theory of transfiguring inanimate objects in to animate ones and glanced at the clock on the wall. It read 5:30.

"My parents are the greatest," she thought. They had let her read for two and a half hours, undisturbed. She closed the book and returned it to its spot on the shelf before heading downstairs to the dining room where her mother and father were waiting. Brantley had already situated himself Jo's right at the end of the table. Hermione took the seat across from Brantley and prayed Braeden would sit next to her. If Braeden was slightly tolerable, Ben was the absolute worst of the three brothers. He had to be. With being the oldest, he had to set an example for his younger brothers. Braeden was the next brother into the room, and he did take the open seat next to Hermione. Ben straggled in a few moments later and sank down next to Brantley.

"So Ben, what do you plan to do now that you're out of school?" Weston asked after a few moments of silence while everyone filled their plates. 

"Oh, I have a job at a store," came Ben's slightly vague reply. 

"Really now? Which one?" Jo queried.

"Um, a book store," Ben replied. Hermione rolled her eyes and snorted in the general direction of her turkey and mashed potatoes. 

"What about you, Braeden?" Weston turned to the middle boy, "how is school going for you?"

"Oh, it's going well." Braeden's reply was as vague as Ben's. 

"And Brantley?" Weston asked. Hermione spooned some peas into her mouth.

"School is great!" piped up the youngest boy. "I'm top of my class in history of."

"Brant, shut up!" Ben and Braeden both exclaimed. Their sudden interruption of their little brother warranted suspicious glances from both Weston and Jo, and more attention to the mashed potatoes from Hermione. 

"Well, Hermione's just been made a prefect at her school," Jo said, smiling at her daughter proudly. 

"Where does she go to school again?" Ben asked, smiling sweetly at Hermione.

"The local public school," Hermione lied through a mouthful of peas.

"Braeden's going to be captain of the school team this year!" Brantley exclaimed. Braeden and Ben both glared at their younger brother. As Hermione was still looking directly into her food, she didn't notice how suspicious her cousins were acting.

"Captain of the school team at one of the most prestigious boarding schools in France," Ben added, shooting Hermione a smug glare.

"What sport do you play?" Weston queried, ignoring his nephews rude comment. Jo smiled through clenched teeth. Braeden and Ben exchange a panicked glance.

"Football," Braeden said finally.

"Really? I played Football back in school. What position?" Weston asked. 

"Keeper," Braeden said smoothly. A loud hoot issued from somewhere upstairs. It sounded suspiciously like Pig. 

"Mother, dinner was delicious. May I be excused?" Hermione asked quickly. Jo and Weston had both heard the owl, but Ben, Braeden and Brantley seemed quite oblivious.

"Sure dear, I'll get the dishes tonight. You need sleep for when your friends come tomorrow," Jo said. Hermione jumped up from the table and tore up the stairs before the owl could make any more noise. As she left, she heard her mother explaining to her cousins about Hermione's friends and their planned visit. Hermione reached her room just in time to intercept Pig flying out the door. She grabbed the little owl in her left hand and pulled the letter from his leg with her right. 

**Hermione**

**Hi, it's Harry, Ron and Ginny! Fred, George and Bill got me out of the Dursley's safely! It's quite a story though **

Just wait! And we've got a good one about Bill and Arabella Figg too!!

_Ginny thinks its sweet. You might like it too!_

It was quite amusing.

_I think you had to be there_.

DID NOT!

**At any rate. We'll be at your house at 8:00 in the morning, as we received Sebastian from your mother this afternoon instructing us to be there then.**

Sebastian and Hedwig are in LOVE!

**Sebastian didn't want to leave Hedwig****, ****so we had to use Pig instead**.

_Don't worry; we'll bring the lovebirds with us tomorrow._

I don't know if Ron intended the pun with that or not. 

_Pun?_

**Ignore him. Fred and George want to add a message, and then we'll be going**.

HERMIONE! WE MISS YOU EVER SO MUCH! INTELLIGENT CONVERSATION JUST ISN'T THE SAME WITHOUT SOMEONE, WELL, ACTUALLY INTELLIGENT!

With Love

**Harry, **Ginny, _Ron_

FRED AND GEORGE

Hermione had to laugh in spite of herself at the letter she had just received from her friends. Harry, Ron and Ginny were the greatest, and even Fred and George had their uses. She hoped the twins "rescue" hadn't been too traumatic for Harry. She figured it hadn't been too bad, as it had been Mrs. Weasley sanctioned, and Bill had been in on it. She lay back on her bed and looked at the glow in the dark stars she had stuck to her ceiling when she was 10. She was still amused by them, but after the ceiling in the Great Hall, well, they just weren't very impressive. Pig squawked happily from Sebastian's cage on Hermione's vanity. 

"What is that thing?" A male voice riddled with disgust asked from the doorway. Hermione looked up to see Braeden leaning against the doorframe.

"It's Pig," Hermione replied.

"Last time I checked pigs were great pink things that snorted and rolled in mud," Braeden quipped. Hermione decided against the reply forming in her brain and instead went with, "It's my friend Ron's pet owl Pigwidgeon. Pig for short."

"Oh, a pet owl? How did it get here?" Braeden looked mildly interested.

"He has it trained to fly between my house, his house, and our other best friend's house," Hermione replied. 

"That's kind of… interesting. What use is it though?"

"It delivers letters for us, quite a bit faster than the regular post," Hermione explained. She sat up on her bed Indian style and looked warily at her cousin. He was being too nice. 

"Isn't it a bit small to deliver letters?" Braeden asked.

"He does alright," Hermione replied. Braeden crept closer to the cage and stuck his fingers through the bars. He rubbed the little owl's head with two fingers. Pig hooted happily.

"I think he likes me," Braeden cooed.

"It's Pig. He likes anyone. He's a gigantic showoff," Hermione explained.

"Hermione, there is NOTHING gigantic about that owl," Braeden laughed. Hermione joined in his laugher, albeit nervously. Braeden was definitely acting quite out of character. 

"He tries," Hermione replied. 

"Ben is pissed at you for leaving the suitcases," Braeden said.

"Ben can kiss my ass," Hermione replied quickly.

"He can be a bit arrogant," Braeden admitted. Hermione rolled her eyes. 

"What are you doing up here?" She asked.

"Can't I come visit my cousin after dinner?" Braeden asked.

"It's just a little odd, you've never gone out of your way to talk to me before," Hermione said. She looked suspiciously at Braeden, wondering his ulterior motives. Truth be told, he had none.

"I'm older and not under Ben's influence anymore. Does that count for anything?" Braeden asked. Hermione considered his statement. She hadn't seen her cousins in two years, since Ben was 16, Braeden was 14, she was 13 and Brantley was 9. Even when she went to France the summer before her fourth year, her family didn't bother visiting their relatives as Jo wasn't sure she could stand the boys' mother for more than a few minutes. The boys' family had moved to France when Hermione was eight, so she hadn't really spent any good amount of time with them since then. 

"I suppose it does," Hermione replied. 

"At any rate, I thought I would see what you were up to. Ben brought a couple of good videos with him and if you'd like to come watch them with us you can," Braeden offered.

"No thanks. I'd rather spend as little time with Ben and Brantley as possible," Hermione replied. 

"Understandable, I think," Braeden said, smiling. He turned and walked from the room. 

"That was certifiably odd," Hermione announced to no one in particular except for maybe Pig as soon as Braeden's footsteps signified that he was at the bottom of the stairs. Pig hooted happily from Sebastian's cage. Hermione got up and walked over to her bookcase. She took Advanced Transfiguration back down and read until she fell asleep. 

*****

"Hermione, wake up, your friends will be here any minute!" Jo urged from Hermione's bedroom door. Hermione rolled over and glared at her mother.

"Five more minutes," she insisted.

"Hermione. Friends. Fireplace. Soon," Jo broke down her sentence for the benefit of her more than half-asleep daughter. Hermione sat straight up in bed.

"How soon?" she queried.

"Two or Three minutes," Jo replied. 

"MOTHER! Why didn't you wake me up earlier?" Hermione demanded.

"I tried," Jo replied, "you flung your pillow at me and stuffed your head under the covers and generally wouldn't hear of the idea." Only then did Hermione realize the absence of her pillow. She immediately sprang out of her bed and grabbed a pair of jeans and a plum purple tank top from her closet. She changed into the clothes and pulled her hair into a messy bun. Her mother was already in the den expectantly watching the fireplace when Hermione finally made her way downstairs. 

"They should be here in about a minute," Jo said, looking at her watch.

"It's Harry and Ron. Inevitably one of them will forget something and cause them all to be late," Hermione explained. Jo laughed at the almost boring ease Hermione used to explain her friends. Jo looked at her watch again. Almost on cue, the fireplace sprang to a Hagrid-accommodating size and a very familiar someone with long red hair came sprawling at Jo and Hermione's feet. She immediately rolled towards Hermione and narrowly escaped her trunk flying out right after her. Hermione pulled Ginny to her feet.

"HERMIONE!" the younger yet taller girl squealed and threw her arms around her friend. 

"GINNY!" Hermione squealed. She wrapped her arms around Ginny.

"Harry and Ron will be along… shortly. Fred disappeared with Harry's invisibility cloak so as soon as they find him and the cloak, I suppose they'll be here," Ginny said when she pulled away from Hermione. 

"Ginny, don't talk about invisibility cloaks. I'll explain as soon as the boys get here," Hermione said. 

"How long do you think it'll take?" Jo asked warily, "The connection closes in another five minutes."

"Oh, Ginny, this is my mother, Jo Granger. Mum, this is Ginny Weasley," Hermione said. Jo and Ginny shook hands warmly. 

"The boy's should be here shortly," Ginny said, "I can go check on them if you want."

"Check on them?" Jo asked.

"Just watch," Ginny instructed. She pulled a small amount of floo powder from her pocket and tossed it into the fire. She bent over, called "The Burrow," and stuck just her head in. Jo shot Hermione a quizzical glance.

"Her head is in the fireplace at her house. She can talk to them that way," Hermione explained. 

"Does it hurt?" Jo asked.

"I wouldn't know, I've never actually tried it, but it is a fairly common way to communicate, so I suppose it doesn't," Hermione said. Ginny (and her head) emerged from the fire a moment later. 

"The cloak and my brother have yet to be located. They'll be along," The rest of Ginny's statement was cut off as she was bowled over by two large figures rolling from the fireplace 

"RON AND HARRY!" Hermione squealed before the boys could stand up. 

"HERMIONE!" Harry yelled. He was the first to his feet. He enveloped her in a tight hug, then actually lifted her off the ground and spun her around several times. 

"HERMIONE!" Ron cried. He threw his arms around both Harry and Hermione. Harry returned Hermione to standing. She turned and threw one arm around Ron too so the three were in a proper group hug. 

"Could you be any louder in here?" a voice from the other side of the den demanded. Luckily for them, the fireplace had just shrunk back to normal, so Ben and Brantley didn't see anything very suspicious. 

"There are people downstairs trying to sleep you know," Brantley exclaimed. 

"Ben, Brantley, why don't you come over here?" Jo asked. Ben and Brantley slowly walked across the room to where their aunt, cousin, and three strange teenagers were standing. 

"Oh, mom, these guys are Harry, and Ron," Hermione said quickly as her cousins walked over. She pointed to each boy as she said his name.

"Nice to meet you boys, I'm Jo Granger," Jo said, shaking hands with each boy. 

"Now Ben and Brantley, I would like you to meet Hermione's friends from school, Harry, Ron and Ginny," Jo said. Brantley waved at them all, but Ben wore a general expression of disinterest. 

"Guys, these are my nephews, Ben and Brantley Granger," Jo continued. Ron held out his hand to Ben, who shook it lightly, as though touching Ron would give him a disease of some sort.

"Malfoy!" thought Hermione. Harry pushed his hair off of his forehead before turning to shake hands with Brantley. 

"OH MY GOSH HE HAS A SCAR JUST LIKE HARRY POTTER!" Brantley squealed as soon as he looked at Harry while shaking his hand. Harry, Ron and Ginny all turned to question Hermione, but she had turned on Brantley. She looked at him, eyes wide and jaw almost scraping the floor. 

"Hermione! Why didn't you tell me your friend had a scar like Harry Potter?" Brantley asked, evidently oblivious to the looks flying about the room. 

"How would you know about Harry Potter?" Harry asked, as he was the first to regain his voice. 

"Doesn't every wizard?" Brantley replied, smiling at Harry. 

"Alright, that's it. Brant, you've said too much," said Ben, stepping in front of his younger brother. Before anyone could say anything else, Ben pulled a wand from his pocket and pointed at Harry.

"Exactly WHAT do you think you're doing?" a deep male voice asked from over to Ben's left. Ben turned to see his younger cousin also holding a wand. The girl and boy behind her also held wands and all three were aimed at him,

"Er, right," Harry said, and fished his own wand out of his pocket. 

"You're a wizard?" Hermione asked, disbelief dripping from her voice.

"We all are Hermione," Ben replied smugly, "now if I could just get back to obliviating you guys since you found out."

"All?" Jo squeaked.

"Yeah! We go to Beaubaxtons!" Brantley chirped from behind his brother. 

"You mean I've got seven teenage wizards in this house for the next two weeks?" Jo asked, silently questioning her own sanity.

"Looks as though you do, Aunt Jo," Ben laughed.

"Hey wait, no obliviating me!" Harry insisted. Ben's words finally sunk in. 

"Are you really Harry Potter?" Brantley squeaked from behind Ben.

"The one and only," Harry replied, smiling almost ruefully. 

"I was wondering when you all were going to figure all this out," an unfamiliar voice issued from the doorway behind Ben and Brantley. 

"You stand there like you knew all along," Ben spat, when he saw his younger brother leaning up against the doorframe. 

"Maybe not necessarily knew, but suspected," Braeden corrected.

"That would be Braeden, cousin number three," Hermione said. 

"Could you children put the wands away?" Jo asked. If she was still bothered by the revelation that her nephews were wizards, she certainly didn't show it. Harry, Hermione, Ginny and Ron immediately pocketed their wands. Ben just quit pointing his at Harry. 

"How do you figure?" Ben asked.

"People don't have trained pet owls," Braeden smiled at Hermione. "I went up and actually talked to her last night. She has a trained pet owl. Plus I don't think Advanced Transfiguration is on the summer reading list at any local school." Hermione smiled back at her cousin. 

"Well what remains to be seen is how Hermione managed to get Harry Potter to be her friend," Ben replied, glaring at Harry. 

"RON!" Harry, Ginny, and Hermione all shouted, without even turning to look at the tall red head. Sure enough, Ron's face had turned as red as his hair with rage and both of his fists were clenched. Jo had to laugh at the way the four knew each other. 

"Benjamin Granger, you take that back right now!" Braeden exclaimed. He started towards his brother, and no one called him off as they had Ron. 

"Hermione, take your friends up to their rooms. Ben and Braeden take your fight downstairs!" Jo cried. Harry and Ron each grabbed an end of Ginny's trunk and the three friends followed Hermione out of the room. Ben, Braeden and Brantley made their way back down to the basement a little more slowly. 

"Sorry about that you guys," Hermione said as soon as she had shown her friends to their rooms. Bill had put a charm on Harry and Ron's trunks to make them miniature and light. The charm ended when either boy said the word spork. The four friends gathered in Hermione's room to discuss the cousin situation.

"About what?" Ron asked.

"About," Hermione paused for a moment, "about everything. This was supposed to be a just the four of us thing. Now we've got bane, bitch, and Braeden to deal with." Harry dropped his arm lazily around his friend's shoulders.

"I've dealt with Dudley all summer. I think your cousins will be nothing," Harry said.

"Yeah," chimed in Ron, "from what Fred and George say, the three of them aren't as large as one Dudley!" Ginny rolled her eyes and glared at the boys. 

"At any rate, I didn't know they were going to be here until around the time they got here yesterday," Hermione said. "Mom kept it quite secret, and by that time, she had already sent Sebastian off, and the twins were in the process of breaking Harry out of the Dursley's. How did that go by the way?" Without further prompting, Harry launched into the tale of the muggle policemen and their daring arrest. By the time he reached the part where Vernon grabbed George, Hermione and Ginny were rolling in the floor with laughter. Harry had Ron in a headlock acting out exactly how the part went. 

"And Mrs. Weasley sanctioned this?" Hermione asked once Harry was done with his tale and they had all begun breathing normally again. 

"That's not the best part!" Ginny squealed. Hermione looked at her younger friend. "Bill and Arabella Figg!" 

"Bill and Arabella Figg?" Hermione repeated. 

"Yes, Bill and Arabella Figg," Harry replied, "they were friends in school and hadn't seen each other in a while before yesterday. They were VERY happy to see each other."

"Very, from what Fred and George say," Ron added, raising his eyebrows twice and grinning mischievously.

"At any rate, Percy had to rescue the twins from the roof when Bill finished with them for teasing him about her," Harry laughed.

"The roof?" Hermione asked. 

"Yes, the roof. Full body bind and a levitating charm," Ginny said, smiling. 

"Eventually Fred and George will learn not to screw with Bill," Ron laughed. Hermione had to laugh. The thought of Fred and George, unable to move, on the rickety roof of the Burrow was too much to handle. 

"So about your cousins?" Ginny prompted, her eyes sparkling mischievously.

"What about them?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know, you tell me," Ginny smiled. 

"Ginny wants the juicy details on all of them," Harry lisped. He leaned in closer and smiled suggestively at Hermione.

"VIRGINIA! EIRENE! WEASLEY!" Ron shouted.

"Yes?" Ginny asked innocently.

"Ben and Brantley are morons," Hermione said quickly, to quell the storm that was Ron's fury.

"What about the other one?" Ginny asked. 

"Braeden actually seems to be okay," Hermione admitted. She reached over to the stereo on her nightstand and turned it on. "Hey Jude" by the Beatles issued forth from the speakers. 

"WOW! What's that?" Ron asked, eyeing the small box.

"It's a stereo," Hermione replied. Ron and Ginny both got on their knees in front of the small table as to examine the stereo more closely. Harry and Hermione both laughed that the Weasley's amazement. At that moment, Hermione knew the problem with her cousins would be perfectly okay as long as her friends were there. 


	3. Chapter 3

No, they're not mine, but JKR wasn't using them, so I didn't think she'd notice if I borrowed them for a while. I'll put them back where I found them as soon as I'm done.

Thank you Natalie.

The first paragraph is a dream sequence

***** denotes a skip in time.

%%%%% denotes action taking place at the same time in a different place

I like reviews. 

That being said:

*****

"Thank you for bringing your son here to me," the cold voice pierced the warm summer night. Three black robed figures stood huddled together at the edge of a forest. A large field spread out before them, with a weather-beaten shack off in the distance. The two smaller figures cowered in front of the tallest. The taller figure reached out a long, pale, bony hand and placed in the head of the smallest figure. The hood of the cloak the boy wore fell back revealing a

"Harry, are you dreaming again?" Ron's voiced dragged Harry out of a deep sleep.

"Huh?" Harry asked.

"You're such a master of the English language when you first wake up," Ron teased. 

"Sod off, Weasley," Harry mumbled.

"At any rate, what were you dreaming about?" Ron asked.

"What makes you think I was dreaming?"

"Something about the whole hands to your scar, thrashing about wildly in bed is quite the dead give away," Ron replied. Harry reached up and ran a finger along his scar. It didn't exactly hurt, but it was quite tingly.

"Okay yeah, I was dreaming," Harry replied. 

"It must not have been too bad, you didn't do the 'someone's ripping my toenails out one by one' scream that usually accompanies your bad dreams," Ron half-laughed. Harry glared at his friend. "Care to tell me what it was about?" If Ron saw the look on Harry's face, he pretended not to notice.

"Voldemort has a jr. league," Harry replied.

"What?" Ron asked.

"Voldemort, some guy in a black cloak and a boy in a black cloak were all standing at the edge of a forest. Voldemort said something about thanks for your son, and then he reached out and touched the boy. I didn't get past that part thanks to someone," Harry flashed a very pointed look in Ron's direction.

"Sorry, it's just that I wasn't sure the Grangers would appreciate the Harry style wake up you manage to subject your dorm mates to at least once a year. And it looked as though it was fast headed towards that," Ron said sheepishly. 

"For your information, my scar doesn't hurt, it's just tingly," Harry replied. He traced his scar with his fingers again.

"Has it ever done that before?" Ron asked.

"Not that I can recall," Harry replied. Ron looked suddenly intrigued. "What do you think this means?"

"Ron, we don't necessarily have a handle on exactly what it means when my scar hurts, much less tingles," Harry said. Ron rolled his eyes at his friend. 

"Harry, you can't just ignore it." 

"Morning guys!" Hermione exclaimed running into their room. She dove on Harry who was still in bed. 

"Morning Hermione," Ron said. Harry's reply came more in the form of "Oomph!" from where she was sitting on his stomach. 

"Where's Ginny?" Ron asked. Hermione moved herself from Harry to Ron's bed. 

"She's still getting ready," Hermione replied.

"I wonder what's taking her so long," Ron said. A cough that sounded too much like "Braeden" for coincidence came from Harry's general direction. Hermione and Ron both looked at him, or, in Ron's case, actually glared. 

"Harry's been dreaming again," Ron announced to get the subject away from Ginny and Braeden. An alarmed look crossed Hermione's happy face and she turned to look at Harry for the second time in about five seconds.

"Nothing bad, Hermione," Harry assured her.

"If it wasn't anything bad, Ron wouldn't have told me about it," Hermione countered.

"Well, it wasn't as bad as some, as he didn't scream," Ron replied.

"What was it about, Harry?" Hermione asked. Harry went through the same brief explanation he had just given moments before Hermione had come into the room. 

"Have you had any dreams since, since," Hermione searched for the right words to express "Cedric's death" without actually using those words. 

"Since the end of school?" Ron supplied the words for her.

"Oddly enough, no," Harry replied. 

"What do you think that means?" Hermione queried. The laughter that had filled the room moments before was replaced with a more tense mood.

"I think it means I smell pancakes, we'll discuss this later!" Harry exclaimed. He sprang from his bed and ran out into the hall in only his boxers.

"HARRY!" Hermione called. Harry stopped dead in his tracks and turned to look at her.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" She asked.

"Oh right," Harry said, and he went back into the room. He walked straight over to the dresser, picked up his glasses and put them on his face. Then he proceeded with his run down to breakfast.

"HARRY!" came Hermione's insistent cry.

"What now?" He asked.

"PANTS!" Hermione insisted. Harry laughed sheepishly and stepped into the jeans he had been wearing the night before. Then he pulled a black wife beater on. 

"Better?" He asked, running his fingers through his hair and making it stand up more than usual. 

"I'd say!" Ginny exclaimed. She had just come out of the bathroom at the end of the hall. 

"Oh Gin, you missed it!" Hermione laughed, "Harry was just running around here in his boxers!"

"Too bad," Ginny didn't sound like she minded missing the spectacle in the least.

"CHILDREN! BREAKFAST!" Weston called from the kitchen. Harry was first on the stairs, followed closely by Ginny, then Hermione and lastly, Ron. Braeden and Brantley were already sitting at the kitchen table when the four friends skidded in. Ben had magically enlarged the kitchen table so that all nine people could sit comfortably. Jo already occupied her seat at the end of the table. Braeden sat to her right. Ginny instantly took the seat to his right. Hermione dropped into the seat across from him, and Harry sat to her left. Brantley had been standing in a corner waiting for Harry to sit, so when he did, Brantley jumped into the seat on the other side of it. Ben came sliding into the kitchen and jumped into the seat next to Ginny, so Ron was stuck sitting between Brantley and Weston, a little far away from Ginny and that boy, in his opinion. Weston served the pancakes. 

"So kids, what are your plans for today?" Jo asked. The three previous days had mostly been spent hanging out at Hermione's house, teaching Ron and Ginny about the non-wizarding world and generally lounging by the pool. Ginny had done quite well in her studies of the non-magic items at Hermione's house. Hermione and Harry half suspected it was mostly due to her desire to impress Braeden. Ron, however, was a completely different story. He still insisted on yelling at the TV when programs didn't go the way he thought they should, and he jumped every time the phone rang. He questioned the photographs Jo had decorated much of her house with, as they didn't move, and he was quite sure the vacuum cleaner was a first cousin to the dementors. 

"We're going to see a movie," Hermione replied. She, Harry and Braeden had decided it was time to take Ron and Ginny out to the real muggle world. Hermione had suggested the movies, and Harry had spent the time since trying to figure out how to make Ron not yell at the screen. Hermione was more concerned with keeping Ron away from Ginny and Braeden. As it turned out, Braeden really wasn't a bad guy at all. Ginny had fallen hard for him and he didn't seem to mind her company at all. Ron, however, minded the idea of any male besides Harry and Neville getting within twenty feet of his sister. Hermione thought his logic was pretty skewed, as Ginny had been obsessed with Harry and only Harry until the event of Braeden Granger. But for all of the time Braeden spent with Hermione and her friends, Ben spent an equal amount in the basement watching videos and generally refusing to associate with anyone. Luckily enough the black eye Braeden had given him right after they met Harry, Ron, and Ginny was enough to keep him from messing with his cousin and her friends. 

"Which movie are you going to see?" Jo asked.

"They're showing Star Wars at that one theatre," Hermione said. Everyone but Weston and Jo was a little confused, but Weston and Jo knew which theatre their daughter was talking about. 

"What time are you going?" Weston asked.

"It plays at one," Hermione replied. 

"I'll tell your cab to be here at 12:15," Weston said, "I would take you myself but I just can't fit all five of you in the Porsche." A withering look in Ben's direction accompanied his last statement. Ben pretended not to notice, but the sudden attention he paid to his pancakes told everyone he had. Jo scooped the last bite of her pancakes into her mouth and looked at her watch. 

"Wes, we've got to go, my first appointment is in 30 minutes," she said. Weston wiped his mouth on his napkin, straightened his tie and pushed back from the table. 

"You children can clean up the kitchen," Jo said as she followed Weston out to the garage. Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but Harry clamped a syrupy hand over her mouth to silence her. "This could be interesting. Do you think Ron has ever seen a dishwasher before?" Harry could feel Hermione's smile forming behind his hand. 

"You guys heard Jo. The children have to clean up the kitchen. I'm a fully qualified wizard now, and we don't fall under the label of children," Ben said. He, too, pushed back from the table and headed back downstairs.

"We're just as well off without him," Ron mumbled. He had just started in on his third stack of pancakes. Everyone but Braeden was still on the first, and Braeden had just started his second. 

"I want to go watch TV!" Brantley squealed. 

"Go for it," Harry urged. Brantley had turned into something of a more annoying Colin Creevy, and tried to shadow his every move. Brantley jumped up and ran into the den. Sounds of muggle cartoons quickly filled the kitchen. 

"So how do we clean up the kitchen?" Ron asked? Hermione, Harry and Braeden shared a mischievous smile. Ginny rolled her eyes. 

"Honestly, Ron, you act like you've never left the Burrow except for school!" she exclaimed.

"Neither have you," Ron spat. Ginny rolled her eyes again, but her face turned a lovely shade of pink, as she couldn't deny her brother accusation. 

"First you have to take all of the dishes off of the table and stack them next to the sink," Hermione instructed to call a cease-fire in World War Weasley. She looked pointedly at Ron, who reached for his wand.

"Without magic," Harry amended. Ron stood up and grabbed his plate and the three nearest him. When he reached for Hermione's, Hermione deftly stabbed his hand with her fork. 

"OUCH! What was that for?" Ron asked, rubbing the spot on my hand.

"You should have asked if I was finished," Hermione instructed.

"You're either finished or you're taking your own plate to the sink," Ron said. Hermione took a very small bite of pancake.

"Okay, I'm done," she said, and flashed Ron a sweet smile. Ron grabbed her plate and Harry's too.

"I'll get this stuff," Braeden said. He jumped up and grabbed the syrup and butter. Ginny reached for the silverware and Hermione stacked the glasses. Harry leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. As he had just had a dream the previous night, Hermione and Ron didn't bother him, and Braeden and Ginny were too caught up in their flirting to notice he wasn't helping. He thought back to his dream and was just beginning to review it more closely when a shriek from Hermione interrupted his silent reverie. He opened his eyes and allowed the front legs of his chair to hit the floor hard.

"Hermione, are you all right?" he asked.

"Someone just discovered the water sprayer on the back of the sink," Hermione replied. Half of her hair was soaking wet and dripping. Harry had to laugh. She scooped a handful of soapsuds from the sink and rubbed them on Ron's chest, as she couldn't reach his head. Harry had to laugh at them. Ron reached for the sprayer again. 

"Guys, isn't this a bit cliché? I mean really, her parents leave you alone to do the dishes and you end up rubbing soap all over each other!" Harry exclaimed. Hermione and Ron both turned to look at him. Hermione shrugged her shoulders and Ron dropped the sprayer to his side. 

"Where are Braeden and Ginny?" Ron suddenly asked. Harry took his turn at shrugging his shoulders while Hermione looked around the kitchen. Sure enough, Braeden and Ginny had disappeared. Harry looked out the glass doors over to his left and the missing teenagers were suddenly found. Braeden and Ginny had snuck out of the house and were back at Hermione's swing set from when she was a child. Ginny sat on the swing and Braeden pushed her. Hermione caught Harry's eyes when he looked away from the pair in the back yard. She had a questioning look on her face. Harry nodded towards the window and Hermione tried to look out without seeming suspicious to Ron. She didn't do a very good job of it. 

"That is the sweetest thing I think I've ever seen!" Hermione gushed, clasping her hands to her chest in a slightly over dramatic fashion.

"He's. Touching. My. Sister!" Ron muttered.

"Down boy!" Harry exclaimed. Before he or Hermione could say anything else, Ron had stalked out of the kitchen towards the den. Harry and Hermione suspected he was headed upstairs, so Harry went over to help Hermione with the dishes. They wordlessly finished washing the few dishes that had to be hand washed, and then Harry helped Hermione load the dishwasher. She had just added the soap and closed the door and was about ready to press the start button when a scream from outside made her forget all about the dishes. 

"RONALD! ALROY! WEASLEY! YOU'RE DEAD!" Ginny screamed. Harry and Hermione looked at each other, surprised. "Alroy?" Hermione voiced the question on both of their minds. Ginny screamed again and they both instantly turned their attention to the spectacle taking place just beyond the kitchen window. Ron had somehow found the water hose coiled next to the garage and figured out how to turn it on. He had dragged it around to the back of the house and was spraying Ginny and Braeden mercilessly. Well, actually, just Braeden. Ginny had taken refuge behind Braeden and was escaping most of the water. 

"What do we do?" Hermione asked. Harry reached over and grabbed the sprayer from the sink. He turned the water on and pointed the sprayer right at his face. He pressed the trigger and blasted his own face with cold water.

"What are you doing?" Hermione asked. Harry reached over into the sink and grabbed some of the left over soapsuds. He fashioned a quick mohawk for Hermione and then stood back to admire his handiwork.

"What did you just do?"

"Now we run outside and make it seem like we've been having a water fight," Harry instructed. Hermione looked at her friend with a huge smile on her face. "Harry, sometimes I wonder why people think I'm the genius." He turned and ran out of the glass doors with Hermione close on his heels. 

"RON!" Harry shouted.

"What are you doing, silly? We ran back inside!" Hermione cried. She jumped on his back for effect. Ginny peeked out from behind Braeden and almost fell out of cover laughing at her two friends. Hermione had almost pulled Ron to the ground, but more than that, she had made him stop spraying Braeden. 

"Hermione, what are you doing?" Ron asked. Harry wrenched the hose out of Ron's hands and pointed it at his friend's chest.

"We're saving you from the ass-kicking of a lifetime," Hermione whispered.

"Play along," instructed Harry. He pulled the trigger of the hose and delivered a jet of ice-cold water right to Ron's chest. Ron was smart enough to turn around and put Hermione towards Harry and the hose, so she ended up receiving most of his punishment for him. By that time, both Braeden and Ginny were ignoring the fact that they were dripping wet. Hermione screamed loudly in Ron's ear as the spray of water hit her in her back. 

"HARRY JAMES POTTER! YOU'RE DEAD!"

"Boy does that sound familiar," gasped Ginny. Hermione let go of Ron and charged towards Harry. Harry dropped the hose and ran towards the corner of the house. Hermione grabbed the hose and chased him with it, but ran out of length before she got very far. Only then did she notice Ginny and Braeden's hysterical laughter. She turned to them, left hand angrily on her hip.

"What are you two laughing at?" she demanded. She brandished the hose before her.

"Uh, nothing," lied Braeden. Ginny couldn't control her laughter. Hermione sprayed the pair, but didn't notice Harry sneaking up behind her until his arms were around her and she was two feet off the ground. She tried to turn the hose on him, but only succeeded in blasting herself in the face. This caused another round of hysterical laughter on everyone's part. 

"Shouldn't we go get ready, now that even those of us who were closed to being ready are now back to where we started, only clothed?" Braeden asked when the laughter had finally somewhat subsided. They all took a minute to survey themselves before Hermione spoke up.

"Yeah, that would probably be a good idea. And don't drip on the floors as you go in." Ron and Harry both rolled their eyes at her comment, and Harry reached over and poked her in her sides. She squealed with laughter. 

*****

"Hermione! What should I wear!" Ginny squealed from her room. Both girls had showered and were now in the process of picking out outfits. Harry and Ron had taken over both of the upstairs bathrooms. Hermione hurried out of her room and into Ginny's, still rubbing a towel over her wet hair. Ginny stood in the middle of her room surrounded by clothes and wearing a pair of short orange and pink plaid shorts and a blue and green striped halter top.

"Certainly not that!" Hermione exclaimed before she could stop herself. Luckily, Ginny laughed. 

"I know, silly. I'm in the middle of outfits!" Hermione looked at the clothes scattered about. 

"What look are you going for?"

"I don't know," Ginny admitted.

"If I had to guess it's somewhere between 'Braeden look at me' and 'Braeden rape me'," Hermione mused. 

"Hermione! Don't say that too loud, you wouldn't want to give my guard dog any ideas!"

"Oh come on, doesn't Ron at least rate body guard?" Hermione joked.

"Body guards don't turn water hoses on people or want to tear them limb from limb. Those are animal instincts," Ginny explained.

"Oh really? I've never seen Crookshanks use a water hose," Hermione laughed. Ginny ignored her friend and continued with her statement. "Those are animal instincts. Therefore, Ron is my guard dog." Hermione picked a pair of faded jeans from the pile in the floor and handed them to Ginny. 

"These?" Ginny asked, looking warily at the jeans in her hands.

"Yes those," Hermione said, "And this." She picked up a yellow halter-top from the pile and handed it to Ginny too. "Come see me when you're dressed." With that Hermione went back to her room and set about picking out her own outfit. She had finally settled on baggy overalls and a tight red spaghetti strap tank top when Ginny walked into the room.

"Hermione, you're a genius!" the younger girl exclaimed. The low-rise flares didn't quite meet the bottom of the tight yellow halter so Ginny's belly button showed slightly. The shirt hugged her in all of the right places. She spun around several times so Hermione could get the full effect of the outfit.

"Gin, its great," Hermione said.

"You're awesome!" Ginny exclaimed, "now what do I do with my hair?" Hermione looked at the younger girls long red hair for a moment before speaking. "Pull it up in a messy bun." Hermione instructed. Ginny did as she was told, as she had a hair tie around her wrist. When Ginny's hair was pulled up, Hermione reached over and pulled two shorter strands down to frame Ginny's face. Ginny looked in the mirror. 

"IT'S PERFECT!" Ginny squealed.

"Ginny, quiet! He's going to hear you all of the way downstairs!" Hermione commanded. Ginny clapped her hands over her mouth and ran back to her room. Hermione quickly changed clothes and braided her hair in two pigtails over her shoulders. She slipped her feet into her brown clunky Doc Marten sandals and surveyed her reflection in the mirror. "Hermione Granger, you're gorgeous," she murmured to the reflection. 

%%%%%

"Harry, what should I wear?" Ron asked. He surveyed the clothes neatly hung up in his closet. 

"You're asking me?" Harry asked. Ron turned to look at his friend like he was crazy. Harry was wearing green pajama pants and a bright orange t-shirt.

"Note to self, don't ask for fashion advice from Harry," Ron muttered just loud enough for Harry to hear him. Harry glared at him and pulled the t-shirt off. He pulled on a black t-shirt with the sleeves ripped out that wasn't too tight, but wasn't necessarily baggy either. Ron turned back around and surveyed his clothes again. He finally settled on a pair of maroon cargo pants that were made out of wind suit pants material, and a tight grey t-shirt. After a summer of moving boxes at a local muggle warehouse, Ron was built. The tight t-shirt accentuated the firm muscles in his arms and chest nicely. Harry pulled on a pair of baggy faded jeans and held them around his hips with a black belt. He stuck his feet in black boots, and rubbed a towel across his hair, causing it to stick up in every direction, as usual. Ron had gelled his forward but didn't stick the front up a la Braeden. Harry pulled on a silver chain and Ron stepped into a pair of brown sandals. He moved over to survey himself in the mirror. 

"Ronald Weasley, you are a sexy beast," he said to his reflection. 

%%%%%

"Gettin' ready for your date with Ginny?" Brantley asked from where he had flopped across Braeden's bed. 

"It's not a date, Brant," Braeden replied.

"I think it is," Brantley replied. 

"It's not," Braeden insisted. 

"Yes it is. The two keys to a date are food and entertainment. You will have snacks at the theatre and the movie is entertainment. Therefore you're going on a date with Ginny," Brantley explained.

"Brantley, what are you smoking?" Braeden asked. He looked past yet another shirt in his suitcase and finally came across the one he was looking for. 

"I'm not smoking anything but all that aftershave you put on is making me dizzy." Braeden pulled the tight blue muscle shirt on over his head, being extra careful not to mess up his hair.

"Is my aftershave too strong?" Braeden asked. Brantley rolled his eyes and glared at his older brother. Braeden reached for a pair of khaki's and pulled them on. They were his favorite pair, as they were tight enough to show off his ass but not too tight to show off everything else.

"How do I look?"

"Braeden, do I look like a magic mirror?" Brantley asked. He rolled over on his back and hung his head off of the edge of the bed, making Braeden seem upside down. "You looked kind of like a piece of hypothermic crap if I look at you this way."

"BRANTLEY AARON GRANGER!" Braeden cried.

"Boys you've got 1 minute to be in the den!" Hermione yelled from somewhere upstairs. Braeden clasped a puka-shell necklace around his neck and tripped into his Reef sandals as he ran up the stairs. He paused at the top of the stairs and resumed a casual walking speed before going into the den to meet Hermione and Ginny. 

"Hey Braeden," Hermione said.

"Hey girl, hey Ginny," Braeden replied. He couldn't believe how gorgeous Ginny looked. Ginny waved shyly at him.

"Make way for Alroy Granger, the sexy beast!" Harry announced, half running half falling into the den.

"HARRY POTTER I'M GONNA KILL YOU!"

"You know, Alroy, something about dealing with you after Voldemort just doesn't scare me too badly," Harry laughed. 

"Sexy beast?" Hermione queried.

"Ron's been standing in front of the mirror growling, flexing, and calling himself a sexy beast for the last 10 minutes," Harry gasped.

"Well, it won't talk so I have to talk to it," Ron said, looking slightly dejected. A horn sounded from somewhere outside. 

"Our cab is here. Ron, please stay quiet on the way to the theatre," pleaded Hermione as she headed towards the door.

"What?" Ron asked innocently. The five teenagers headed out to the cab parked in the driveway. 

"HAVE FUN ON YOUR DATE!" Brantley squealed from the basement. Luckily, as he was the last one out of the house, only Braeden heard him. 

"Get in the backseat," Hermione coached Ron.

"I've been in a taxi before!" Ron exclaimed indignantly. The two Weasley's, Harry, and Hermione all immediately remembered the disastrous taxi ride to Kings Cross before their fourth year. Ron climbed into the backseat and motioned Ginny to follow him. Unfortunately for him, she and Braeden jumped in the front seat next to the driver and Ron was stuck sitting next to Hermione. 

The taxi ride to the theatre was rather uneventful; however buying tickets was a complete different story. Braeden and Ginny stepped up to the ticket window first. Braeden attempted to pay for both of their tickets but was stopped by Ron's strong hand on his shoulder. 

"What do you think you're doing?" Ron asked.

"I'm paying for movie tickets," Braeden responded calmly. 

"Why in the wo-," Ron's sentence was cut off by Harry's hand clamping over his mouth.

"You'll have to excuse my brother," Ginny began.

"Yes, he really didn't escape, he's got a day pass," Harry quipped before Ginny could say anything else. His statement was from a muggle t-shirt he had seen in a shop window. Ron turned red and glared at Harry, but as Harry wouldn't move his hand, Ron couldn't say anything. Braeden paid for Ginny's ticket and they headed inside the theatre. Harry finally let Ron go and stepped to the counter. When his ticket was paid for, he turned to watch Ron.

"One please," Ron said. He pushed the correct amount of money towards the lady behind the counter. She pressed the button and a ticket popped up out of the little metal slot in the counter. 

"WOW! How did they do THAT!" Ron exclaimed as he picked up his small ticket in his big hands. 

"It's magic, Ronnie," Harry said sweetly. He took his friend by his elbow and led him into the theatre to meet Braeden and Ginny who were already in the food line. Hermione quickly caught up with them.

"Okay Ron," she began in a low voice, "the movie we're about ready to see is a lot like TV, only on a much larger scale."

"But there will be other people in the room with us, so, under no circumstances are you to yell at the screen," Harry continued. Ron nodded mutely. He was honestly paying more attention to the soda machine. Braeden stepped up to the counter and ordered snacks for himself and Ginny. Harry did the same for himself, Ron and Hermione, to save them all the embarrassment of Ron trying to order food. Braeden had chosen popcorn and cokes for himself and Ginny. Harry bought an assortment of candy and Mt. Dew's for himself and his two friends. 

"Let's go find seats!" Hermione exclaimed when everyone had purchased their food. She led them all into the theatre and chose seats near the back. Ginny sat on one end, with Braden to her right. Hermione sat to Braeden's right with Harry on her other side and Ron on the opposite end. Harry handed Ron a Milky Way bar. Ron opened it and peered at the inside of the wrapper. 

"Where is the card?" he asked.

"What?" Harry asked.

"The card! You've given me chocolate, now where is the card?" Ron asked.

"No cards," Harry replied. Ron's disappointment showed brightly on his face, but he ate the chocolate anyway. 

"I need something to drink," Ron whispered. Harry handed him a Mt. Dew and then tapped Hermione on her shoulder. Hermione got Braeden's attention and the three of them looked expectantly at Ron. Ron took a sip of the soda and before anyone could stop him, the people sitting three rows in front of them had a Mt. Dew shower courtesy of Ron's nose.

"What was that?" Ron and Harry asked at the same time.

"Mt. Dew," came Harry's reply.

"My nose hurts!" cried Ron. 

"Don't drink so much at once next time," Hermione instructed. Ron took a much smaller sip of the drink.

"Why don't we have this at school? This stuff is amazing!" Ron exclaimed. Hermione and Harry exchanged a knowing smile, but they were both wondering if anyone was up to dealing with a caffeine buzzed Ron, after all, pumpkin juice wasn't much for having addicting ingredients.

"Quiet you guys, the movie is starting!" Ginny hissed from the end of the row. The lights in the theater dimmed. Harry handed Ron a bag of Jelly Belly Jelly Beans. After about 10 minutes of previews, Ron leaned over to Harry.

"Why don't we have these? They're much safer than Bertie Bott's!"

"SSSHHHH!" the admonition came from the people who were still trying to get the soda and Ron boogies' out of their hair. 

*****

"RONALD WEASLEY!" Ginny cried as the five of them staggered out of the movie theatre about an hour and a half later.

"What?" Ron asked sheepishly.

"We TOLD you not to argue with the screen!" Hermione shouted. Ron glared at his friends and started walking up the road. Ginny was particularly pissed because Braeden had just gotten up the courage to put his arm around her when Ron got his third and final warning and got them all kicked out of the theatre.

"Seriously Ron! 'HE CAN'T BE!?!' Not something you want to yell when Darth Vader announces that he's Luke's father," Harry said. Ron shoved his hands in his pockets and looked at his feet.

"No matter Ron, we still love you," Ginny half lied. She could tell her brother felt bad about his actions.

"Yeah we do," Hermione squealed. She ran over and jumped on Ron's back. Harry ran over and jumped on them both, causing the three of them to fall to the ground. Ron's face instantly broke into a grin and he rolled over and wrapped his arms around both of his friends. He knew he'd never survive in the muggle world alone but as long as he had friends like these, he'd be perfectly okay. 


	4. Chapter 4

I own a toothbrush, some cool Birkenstock sandals, a spork and a nifty John Lennon poster. I do not, however, own Harry Potter.

Thanks to Natalie and Lucille.

House Points to the first person to catch the literary reference and the pop-culture reference.

Again, ***** denotes a skip in time, %%%%% denotes a change in location

That being said

*****

"Hermione, I've got a question," Braeden approached his younger cousin three full days after the movie disaster as she was in the kitchen making herself a jelly, banana and cheese sandwich. Weston, Harry and Brantley were all out in the garage showing Ron the wonders of the lawnmower. Ben was still holed up in the basement, and Jo and Ginny had driven into town to buy a few last minute things for the dinner Jo was preparing that night. Braeden had been helping with the mowing lesson, but the conversation he needed to have with Hermione was a more pressing matter.

"What is it?" Hermione asked. She turned to face her cousin and took a big bite of her sandwich. 

"How much of a death wish would I have if I wanted to take Ginny out on a real date, you know, just the two of us?" Braeden asked. Hermione struggled to swallow her bite of sandwich.

"You wouldn't have a death wish," Hermione assured him. Braeden looked relieved, but Hermione continued with her sentence, "You'd have the signature on your death certificate ready and waiting."

"Very funny, Hermione," Braeden said. Hermione took another bite of sandwich.

"No, sewiouswy, huh brovers would ki-ww you," she said thickly. 

"Ron doesn't seem like that bad of a guy," Braeden rationalized.

"Ron's not that bad, alone," Hermione said, "but when you throw Fred, George, Percy, Charlie and Bill into the equation…"

"She has six older brothers?" Braeden interrupted. 

"Yes. Three of them are fully trained wizards. One of those three works with dragons on a regular basis and another is a charm breaker for Gringott's. The twins are the most famous pranksters since the Marauders at Hogwarts, and then there is Ron. While his magical abilities may not be the absolute best, they're not bad. And I'd be wary of his right hook," Hermione laughed.

Braeden's face slowly turned a rather Malfoy-ish shade of white and he sank down into a chair.

"And then there is Harry," Hermione continued. "He's like the seventh Weasley brother. I wouldn't put it past him to hex you into next week sometime if you hurt Ginny."

"So you're saying the date is a bad idea?" Braeden asked. 

"Depends on how happy you are with living," Hermione joked. 

%%%%%

"So you see, Ron, the blade turns around at a very high rate of speed and that's what cuts," Weston explained. He, Harry, Ron and Brantley were all crowded around an overturned lawnmower staring at the blade. Ron's face paled visibly. 

"And people think wizards are bad. At least we have counter curses and pepper-up potion for most things!" Weston looked a bit bewildered at Ron's statement, but Brantley and Harry laughed. 

"Ron, it's used to mow the lawn!" Harry exclaimed when he finally realized why his friend was freaking out so much. 

"That's why it's called a lawn mower!" Brantley laughed. Ron's face turned a deep shade of red at the revelation. Harry managed to stop his laughter quite quickly when he noticed how embarrassed his friend as, but Brantley wouldn't drop the issue. 

"Brantley, I've got a game for you," Weston suggested, seeing the older boys' irritation.

"What?" Brantley asked suspiciously.

"Go inside and fix me a glass of water," Weston said.

"What kind of game is that?" Brantley asked.

"Do it," Weston commanded. Brantley glared at his uncle then scampered inside to fix the water. 

"That should keep him occupied. He'll probably run into Braeden and Hermione in the kitchen and need to annoy them," Weston laughed. Ron looked like he felt considerably better about the whole lawn mower incident, and he and Harry laughed along with Hermione's father. 

"I'm sorry about them being here, you guys," Weston apologized.

"Mr. Granger, it's really not a big deal," Harry said.

"But I think it upset Hermione. She wanted to spend time with just her friends, but then her cousins were dropped on us last minute. She's never necessarily gotten along with her cousins," Weston replied.

"I can see why," Ron muttered. Harry glared at him, but Weston just laughed.

"Ben and Brantley are a bit annoying, aren't they?" Weston asked.

"A bit?" Ron asked. Brantley's hero worship of Harry was really beginning to get to Ron.

"Braeden seems okay though," Harry tried to cover up for his friend. 

"He's changed a lot, and it seems as though it's for the better," Weston explained, "but that still doesn't make up for them ruining your trip here."

"They haven't ruined it. I'll admit that Brantley has been more than a little annoying, but Braeden took care of Ben, and Braeden himself is a really cool guy," Harry replied. Weston smiled a bit.

"Yeah, their parents don't exactly like the fact that their sons are wizards, so we don't spend too much time with them. In fact, we didn't know that the boys were wizards until right around the time you guys found out. Jo doesn't like Bethany, the boys' mother," Weston explained.

"So why exactly are they here?" Ron asked, a little less than tactfully.

"Dumbledore," Weston replied. Ron turned around quickly to fully face Weston. Harry brought his hand to his open mouth in a very surprised fashion.

"Dumbledore?" Ron asked.

"Yes. Evidently he feels the boys need protection for some reason he couldn't explain. Benjamin, my brother and Bethany refused to let him have the proper protection put on their house," Weston explained.

"Why?" Harry asked.

"Like I said, they don't like the fact that their sons are wizards," Weston explained. 

"So they'd put their safety on the line?" Harry reasoned. 

"Evidently. But the boys don't know that, so if you could just not say anything," Weston said.

"Is this house protected?" Ron asked.

"Are you kidding? Dumbledore put protections on this place after your second year," Weston said.

"So Dumbledore convinced their parents to bring them here?" Ron asked.

"Not exactly. Dumbledore fixed some emergency business in America that will have them detained there until September. The boys will stay here until they return to school," Weston explained. Ron nodded in semi-acceptance. Harry ran his fingers lightly over his scar. 

"I made Lemonade!" Hermione exclaimed. She walked into the garage, followed closely by Braeden and Brantley, balancing a tray of full glasses in front of her. 

"Thanks Hermione!" Harry exclaimed. He quickly moved his hand from his scar and grabbed a glass off of the tray. The rest of the guys took their glasses also, and Hermione kept the last one for herself. 

"When do you think mum and Ginny will be back?" she asked her father. Before Weston could answer, Jo's red Jetta pulled into the driveway. Ginny jumped out of the passenger's seat and ran over to where everyone was standing.

"You guys should have seen it! There were these great ugly things in a tank at the market!" She cried.

"They were lobsters, Ginny, dear," Jo laughed. She approached the group a little more slowly. 

"Right. Lobsters! They were in this huge tank thing and they had massive pinchers!" Ginny exclaimed. Ron looked interested, everyone else just laughed at her. She paled visibly then turned bright red when she saw Braeden standing between Harry and Hermione. 

"You missed it Ginny! They taught Ron all about the lawnmower!" Brantley laughed. Ron turned bright red, and then glared at Brantley.

"Brantley, don't bring that up again," Harry instructed, using the hero worship to his advantage. Brantley instantly got quiet. 

"Do you need any help with the groceries?" Ron asked Jo.

"Would be nice," Jo replied. Ron, Harry, and Braeden all headed for the car, "Hermione, your friends are useful. Can we keep them around for a while longer?"

"I think not, mum. They've got to go back to school. I don't think I could survive school without them," Hermione admitted. She silently thought about how many levels that statement could be interpreted on. Weston and Brantley headed over to help the boys with the groceries and Ginny took a few small bags of her own upstairs to her room. 

"Which one do you fancy?" Jo asked, smiling mischievously at her daughter.

"Neither," Hermione replied.

"Oh come on Hermione. I was a teenage girl once, I know how it is," Jo insisted.

"Neither," Hermione repeated.

"Is it Harry? He is quite the handsome one with those big green eyes and that mysterious scar," Jo said. "If only she knew the half of how mysterious that scar is," thought Hermione.

"No mum, not Harry."

"Then it's Ron! I don't blame you. He's got that innocent little boy air, and the red hair is nice, not to mention the quite nice upper body," Jo laughed.

"AMY JO BROOKE GRANGER!" Hermione shouted. Everyone turned to look at the pair still in the garage. "Enough about my friends," came the whispered end of the statement. Jo smiled again mischievously. 

"How dead will Braeden be if he asks Ginny out?" Jo asked.

"Braeden and I have been through this already. He will be dead. Very dead, why is he planning on it?" Hermione replied. Jo just shot her daughter a grin and ran inside to unpack the groceries. 

%%%%%

"Hey Ginny, how's it going?" Braeden asked. He stuck his head into Ginny's room.

"Oh, hey Braeden, I'm doing well, how are you?"

"I'm good. I've got a question for you."

"What's that?"

"Well, Ben's birthday is next week and I'm not really sure what to get him," Braeden began. He automatically looked at his shoes.

"Well, I don't know Ben that well," Ginny interrupted. 

"But you've got six older brothers, I though you might be able to help me figure out something," Braeden said.

"Maybe," Ginny replied.

"At any rate, I thought we'd discuss it tonight over dinner if that's alright with you," Ben said.

"Won't he be sitting right there?" Ginny asked.

"No silly, I mean, me and you at Le Maximum while everyone else is here," Braeden explained, instantly going bright red. Ginny's jaw dropped.

"Uh, sure," she replied, "I mean, I'd love to!"

"Great, pick you up at 6 then?" Braeden asked, flashing Ginny a broad smile. 

"Sounds great," Ginny replied, smiling back at Braeden.

"Right then, they're probably wondering where I've gone to. I'll see you later," Braeden said. He quickly turned and ran back downstairs. Ginny slowly walked over and fell backwards onto her bed. She didn't hear Hermione enter her room a minute later, as she was still trying to wipe the cheesy grin off of her face and stop staring at the ceiling.

"Okay Ginny, Braeden just came downstairs grinning like the cat who ate the canary, and I come up here and find you laying on your bed with a cheesy smile plastered on your face. You've got some explaining to do!" Hermione insisted.

"I've got a date!" Ginny exclaimed softly. 

"Braeden asked you out?" Hermione asked.

"We're going to Le Maximum tonight for dinner," Ginny replied.

"Le Maximum is only the nicest restaurant in town!" Hermione cried. Ginny sat straight up on her bed. "WHAT DO I WEAR?!"

"Hush Ginny, he'll hear you," Hermione exclaimed, heading to Ginny's closet. She threw the doors open and surveyed its contents. She pulled several dresses from the closet and tossed them at Ginny.

"Try those for starters," Hermione instructed. Ginny looked at the dresses in her hands.

"These aren't mine," she said.

"You're right, they're mine, but they don't fight right. Bethany, the boys' mother bought them for me for Christmas last year and they're not returnable," Hermione explained. Ginny crossed over to the full-length mirror and held each of the dresses up to her body in turn. 

"I like this one," she said after a while. She held out a black dress to Hermione. Hermione looked at the dress and nodded her approval.

"I was hoping you would say that," she admitted, "now go lock yourself in the big bathroom and sit in the bath for as long as you want. Just don't get shriveled." Ginny headed off towards the bathroom. Hermione laid the dress across the bed and then walked down to the kitchen. 

"Where is Ginny?" came Ron's first question when Hermione entered the kitchen.

"Upstairs in the bath," Hermione replied, smiling sweetly. 

"Hey Ron, how dead would I be if I asked your sister out on a date?" Braeden asked.

"Pretty dead," Ron replied.

"Can you wait until after tonight to kill me?" Braeden requested, "So at least I'll die happy." Ron laughed at Braeden, but as he realized the full meaning of Braeden's statement, he slowly stopped laughing.

"You asked my sister out?" Ron asked.

"Yes, we're going to Le Maximum tonight for dinner," Braeden replied calmly. Ron's face turned deep purple.

"RONALD ALROY WEASLEY!" Harry exclaimed, quite loudly. Ron turned to glare at Harry. His fists were clenched and his happy blue eyes and darkened to a stormy grey. "Braeden is a good guy. He won't hurt Ginny. And he told you beforehand didn't he? That's got to count for something," Harry asked.

"And Ron, Ginny is a 14 year old young lady. You can't baby her forever," Hermione added. Ron's face returned to a healthy pink and he began pacing.

"Okay Braeden. This once. But if you so much as put one toe out of line I will scoop your eyeballs out with a spork and feed them to you in small pieces. Then I will," Ron muttered.

"Ron, we get the picture," Hermione exclaimed. Harry just laughed at the "if you so much as put one toe out of line." Braeden turned a pasty green color at the thought of being force fed his own eyeballs by Ginny's older brother. 

"On that note, Hermione and I are going to pick out my outfit," Braeden announced. He quickly exited the kitchen with Hermione in tow. 

"You took that rather well," Harry commented as soon as he and Ron were alone. 

"If he hurts her, I will saw his balls off with a."

"RON! Enough of that!" Harry exclaimed, as his own hands flew instantly to his stuff in cringing fear. Ron snapped out of his little world and stopped pacing he turned to look directly at Harry.

"Er, Harry. Don't let me stop you or anything, just let me get out of the room, but first can I say that the Granger's kitchen is neither the time nor the place." 

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked. Ron coughed pointedly at Harry's hands before leaving the kitchen. 

%%%%%

"Oh my gosh Hermione, what do I wear?" Braeden asked, pulling his cousin over to his suitcase. Ben snorted loudly in their direction from his place in a chair in the corner. 

"Clothes would probably be a good thing,' Hermione replied, looking warily at the overflowing suitcase lying in the floor in front of her cousin. 

"Of course I'm wearing clothes, but which clothes!" Braeden cried.

"Braeden, I'm going to have to slap you if you don't stop acting like a teenage girl," Hermione said.

"Which of the boys has he asked out now?" Ben asked.

"He's going out with GINNY!" Hermione spat in Braeden's defense. Braeden just glared at his brother.

"Surprising," Ben muttered, but turned back to the TV.

"Ignore him," Hermione instructed, "you don't want a black eye for your date." 

"Keep me away from Ron then," Braeden said. Hermione had to laugh.

"He took the news rather well though, I was quite proud of him," Hermione laughed.

"I just pray I never have to meet any of her other brothers," Braeden said.

"Black pants, this blue shirt and a black tie," Hermione instructed suddenly. She had come across the right combination of clothes in the very bottom of Braeden's suitcase.

"Which shoes?" Braeden asked.

"Do you have any tux shoes?" Hermione asked.

"Why?" Braeden asked.

"Because they're shiny and they generally amuse me," Hermione admitted.

"Actually, yes, I do have some from some benefit dinner thing mum made us go to earlier this summer. They amuse me too, so I brought them with me," Braeden admitted.

"Wear those!" Hermione instructed.

"Hermione, you're a genius!"

"Funny, I seem to be getting that a lot these days," Hermione laughed. Braeden threw his arms around her shoulders and pulled her into a tight hug. 

"Hermione, why am I doing this?" Braeden asked when he finally let go of his cousin.

"Doing what?" Hermione replied.

"Taking Ginny out," Braeden supplied.

"Because you like her?" Hermione suggested.

"But what's the point. She's going back to her house tomorrow and I'll never see her again," Braeden said. 

"That's not true," Hermione half-lied, "can't you floo to see her when you get back to your house?"

"Yeah right. Mum and dad refuse to have our fireplace hooked up to the floo network," Braeden explained. 

"Braeden, everything will work out like it's supposed to," Hermione assured him. His face fell visibly.

"I hope you're right. I care about her a lot. I know I've only known her a few weeks and everything, but I swear, she's just about the most amazing girl I've ever met," Braeden said.

"Okay Mister, you will cheer up RIGHT now, or I'm calling your date off! You're being way too sappy!" Hermione exclaimed. 

"All right, Hermione," Braeden said.

"I'm going upstairs to read. I'll be in my room if you need anything, but send someone to get me, you can't come upstairs yourself," Hermione said. She turned and ran up to her room before Braeden could say anything else. 

"Ginny?" Hermione called when she go to the top level of her house.

"What?" Ginny asked from her bedroom.

"What are you planning on doing to your hair?" Hermione asked.

"You're deciding," Ginny replied sweetly.

"Hermione, can I get in to talk to my sister?" a male voice asked from just behind Hermione.

"Hey Gin, can Ron come in?" Hermione asked.

"What does he want?" Ginny replied coldly.

"Just to talk," Ron replied.

"Okay then," Ginny said, "Hermione you come back in a little while to do my hair." With that, Ron went into Ginny's room and Hermione ran into her room. Hermione curled up on her bed with her headphones and Advanced Potions.

%%%%%

"What do you want?" Ginny asked, eyeing her brother suspiciously. Ron stood nervously in the doorway. He ran his hands over his hair several times. 

"Just to talk," Ron replied.

"It's about Braeden isn't it?" Ginny asked.

"Well, uh, can I sit?" 

"Sure." Ginny motioned to a spot next to her on the bed. Ron walked over and awkwardly sat down.

"It's about Braeden isn't it?" Ginny repeated.

"Yes," Ron replied.

"RONALD," began Ginny.

"Gin, please, just hear me out!"

"Talk, boy!" Ginny teased.

"I talked to Braeden," Ron said.

"Alright."

"Ginny, he seems like a really great guy. I like the fact that he came to me to ask about taking you out."

"That is pretty thoughtful," Ginny said.

"I guess what I'm saying is, you're my little sister, the only one I've got. If something happens to you tonight, I'll never forgive myself."

"Ron, nothing's going to happen!"

"Don't say that Gin. You know you've always been my favorite sibling. Fred and George have each other, as have Bill and Charlie. Percy has his cauldron bottoms, and I've had you," Ron said, "So all I'm saying is have fun and be careful! It's hard to believe you're already 14 and I'm giving you permission to go out on a date."

"Oh Ron!" Ginny cried. She flung her arms around his neck and enveloped him in a huge hug. Ron wasn't necessarily used to such spontaneous outbursts of emotion towards him from Ginny, so he just awkwardly patted her back. 

"That being said, I think you've only got about an hour and a half to finish getting ready," Ron said. He stood up from his spot, wiped his hands on his jeans, and headed towards the door. 

"Ron?" Ginny asked.

"Yeah?" Ron paused and looked back at his sister.

"Thank you." Ron turned redder than his hair and instantly looked at his feet. 

"No problem" he muttered. 

"And could you send Hermione over here when you pass her room?" Ginny requested.

"Sure," said Ron, and he left the room. Hermione came in a minute later, her hands full of muggle hair styling products. 

"Are you ready to do your hair?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, but first, I need you to check the weather forecast in hell," Ginny said.

"Why?"

"Ron's giving his blessing to this date with Braeden," Ginny replied. Hermione's jaw dropped and she almost dropped half of the hair stuff. 

"Maybe he's finally growing up," Hermione said.

"You should have heard what he said. Most of it made me glad he's my brother."

"Aw Gin, that is so sweet."

"So what are we doing to my hair?" Ginny asked. Hermione moved to plug her curling iron in at the dresser. 

"Will I get away with just saying you'll see?" Hermione replied. Ginny looked warily at her friend.

"If you don't like it, you can give me a Mohawk," Hermione promised. 

"And dye it purple?" Ginny asked, sounding like a five year old at Christmas.

"And dye it purple," said Hermione.

"All right!" Ginny exclaimed. She sat down in a chair Hermione had dragged to the middle of the room. Hermione picked up her brush and bobby pins and began fixing Ginny's hair. 

*****

"What's taking so long?" Braeden asked, glancing at his watched. He paced around the couch in the den for approximately the 16th time since coming upstairs. 

"She's a girl, she can't be ready on time," Harry replied.

"It's against their nature," Ron added. Harry laughed, but Braeden started around the couch again. 

"Hey you guys! She's ready!" Hermione squealed as she skidded into the room, her socks sliding on the hardwood floor. 

"Bout time," Ron muttered. Braeden immediately turned red and began adjusting his tie.

"Braeden, you look great. Stop fussing with your tie," Hermione instructed. Braeden was amazed she even noticed, as she was staring expectantly at the door and he was standing behind her. Jo stepped into the room. The expression on her face equaled Hermione's in giddiness.

"Is she here yet?" Jo asked.

"I hear footsteps," Harry said. 

"Braeden, leave your tie alone," Jo said. Jo wasn't standing where she was supposed to be able to see Braeden either. Braeden gave up on his tie and bent down to work on his shoe. He was so fixated on the shoestrings that he didn't hear Ginny enter the room. She cleared her throat softly and only then did he look up at her. 

Hermione's dress fit Ginny more than perfectly. The black collar gave way to a halter-top and flowing skirt. The skirt stopped at her left knee and continued down to her right ankle. She wore high-heeled black strappy sandals. The thin material of her dress ran like water over her, accentuating her curves in all of the right places. The back of the dress was completely non-existent down to her waist. Hermione had pulled Ginny's hair into a French twist with curls spilling out of the top. The makeup was very minimal. Fake diamond drop earrings completed the look. 

Ron turned red and clenched his fists at the sight of his sister. Harry looked at her then instantly started examining his shoes so he wouldn't gawk. Hermione and Jo both sighed and smiled. 

Braeden's jaw dropped at the sight of Ginny. He didn't bother to stand back up fully, and he evidently wasn't very worried about gawking. He turned bright red and his shoelace, needless to say, was the last thing on his mind.

"Ready to go?" Ginny asked, extending her hand to Braeden.

"I, uh, uh, uh," stammered Braeden.

"Say yes," coached Hermione.

"Uh." Ron kicked Braeden in his butt. Braeden immediately jumped up and stepped towards Ginny. He held out his arm to her. "Shall we?"

She placed her hand lightly in the crook of his elbow. "We shall." Without another word, the pair exited to the garage where Weston was waiting in the Jetta to chauffer them to the restaurant.

"Aren't they beautiful?" Hermione asked.

"I wish I was young again," Jo lamented. 

"She looked nice," Harry said, still staring at his shoelaces.

"That's my SISTER you're talking about!" Ron shouted.

"Down boy!" Jo exclaimed. Harry and Hermione both laughed, but Ron just glowered at them all. 

"Dinner!" Jo said. She led the trio into the dining room. 

"Are Ben and Brantley eating with us?" Hermione asked as she took her seat next to her mother at the table.

"Nope, we ordered them pizza and shut them downstairs, I didn't think I could stand Ben's attitude." Jo explained. Harry took the seat next to Hermione and Ron sat across from them both. He still looked significantly worried. 

"We're eating without Weston?" Harry asked.

"Yes, he said to go ahead and start without him" Jo said as she placed a platter of shrimp, crab legs, oysters and scallops on the table in front of them between a stack of baked potatoes and a dish of steamed asparagus. The scowl on Ron's face turned to a smile when he saw all of the food Jo had placed before them. Harry and Hermione couldn't help laughing at him. 

"Not funny, guys," He exclaimed.

%%%%%

"Two under Granger," Braeden told the maitre d'. 

"This way please," the tall man said. He picked up two menus and walked towards the back of the restaurant. Braeden and Ginny had abandoned their formalness from Hermione's and were just holding hands. The maitre d' walked completely through the restaurant and stopped at a pair of double doors.

"Will the terrace be okay?" the maitre d' asked.

"Yes," Ginny and Braeden answered simultaneously. The maitre d' opened one of the doors and led them out onto the terrace and into a table isolated in the very corner, right at the edge. A wrought iron rail ran along the edge of the table, as they were now on a second story balcony structure. A small lake was situated just in view of the terrace. The only light came from the setting sun and antique lanterns hung from the ceiling. 

Braeden pulled Ginny's chair out for her before taking his seat next to her. He reached over and placed his hand over hers. She smiled softly at him. 

%%%%%

"Ron! Do you have to hammer it with that much vengeance?" Harry asked as Ron brought a mallet down on yet another crab leg. The mallet fell with a sickening thud, and crab shell shot to the ceiling. A splattering of juice flew towards Harry's face, and he had to duck towards Hermione. Hermione and her mother both laughed hysterically at the boys' antics.

"Harry, you leave him alone!" Jo scolded.

"Why don't we have food like this at Hogwarts? This is good!" Ron exclaimed.

"I don't know if you like eating it as much as you like hammering it," muttered Harry, sending Hermione and Jo into another round of laughter. 

"Did you get the lovebirds all settled in?" Jo asked suddenly. Harry and Hermione turned to find Weston standing behind them. 

"Yes, they're all settled in," Weston said as he took his seat.

"I'd watch it, dad. Ron's a bit dangerous with that mallet," Hermione warned as Weston reached for the scallops and crab legs. Ron laughed and twirled the mallet between his fingers.

"Does Braeden have his command of the English language back yet?" Harry joked.

"Braeden was speaking just fine. No stuttering. No lapsing into French," Weston said with a smile. 

"What if he speaks French to my sister?" Ron wailed.

"What's the problem with that?" Hermione asked.

"French is the language of love," Ron mumbled more to his food than to his friends. Harry and Hermione both looked at Ron like he was stupid. Weston let out a howl of laughter, and Jo showered the table with wine. 

"And you're fussing about my crab matter!" Ron said, glaring testily at Jo, who was holding her nose.

"Did you just shoot that out of your nose, mother?" Hermione asked, mortified. Jo nodded. Harry and Hermione took their turns to howl with laughter, remembering Ron's incident with the Mt. Dew at the theatre. Weston just rolled his eyes and went back to eating.

*****

"I'm glad Ron went along with this," Braeden said as he and Ginny waited for their food to arrive at their table. They could just hear a string quartet playing somewhere inside the restaurant. The night was sprinkled with laughter from the patrons at other tables. 

"Yes. He's finally growing up, I think," Ginny laughed. Braeden reached over and took Ginny's hand again. He squeezed it lightly. She looked into his bright blue eyes and smiled, squeezing his hand tighter. 

*****

"So then the lady in front of us screamed so loudly! And it was right in the middle of Mass too!" Jo cried. She leaned back and slapped the table in front of her lightly. Hermione turned redder by the second. Harry and Ron were totally enthralled by the story and Weston was already laughing at the recollection of the memory. "So we looked down and there was our little Hermione holding on to the lady's ankles. And before we could grab her, she rolled under the pew and ran down the aisle and out the side door!" Harry and Ron didn't see why Jo and Weston were laughing as hard as they were, or why Hermione was giving the Weasley hair a run for its redness. 

"What Jo is forgetting to mention is that Hermione had left her dress and stockings lying under the pew," Weston amended Jo's story. Harry and Ron howled with laughter and Hermione stood up.

"That's quite amusing, but we're going upstairs now!" She grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him towards the stairs. Ron jumped up and followed them. 

"Hermione, I can't believe you streaked in church!" Ron chided as she ran up the stairs.

"I was THREE!" Hermione exclaimed.

"It's funny Hermione," Harry said.

"I know, but it's still embarrassing," she admitted. She pulled the boys into her room and pushed them onto her bed.

"Is this the part where she," Ron began.

"Ron, don't even go there. Get your mind out of the gutter!" Hermione cried before Ron could finish his thought. She jumped onto the bed next to them. "So what did you boys want to talk to me about?" 

"We found out some very interesting things from your dad earlier today," Harry said, rather bluntly.

"Such as?" Hermione asked.

"Your cousins' parents are in America on business," Ron said.

"I knew that," Hermione replied.

"Dumbledore concocted business," Harry corrected. Hermione's jaw dropped. Harry reached over and tapped her chin lightly with two fingers.

"What would Dumbledore want with my aunt and uncle?" Hermione asked. 

"Your dad didn't know. Evidently it's more for the boys' safety though," Harry said. "Yeah, 'cause this house is protected and it's the safest place for them until they go back to school, according to your dad," Ron added.

"So they're staying until school starts?" Hermione asked.

"Evidently."

"What about that dream you had the other night, Harry?"

"Well, it was just Voldemort, another man, and a boy about Brantley's age," Harry said.

"What were they doing?"

"They were standing at the edge of a forest. Voldemort said something about 'thank you for bringing your son to me' and then he reached out and touched the boy's head. The hood on the boy's cloak fell back but before I could see who it was, Ron woke me up," Harry explained.

"Could the boy be Brantley?" Hermione asked.

"Is your uncle a death eater?" Ron replied.

"No, my uncle is as muggle as they come," Hermione replied.

"I beg to differ. I think that award goes to my uncle," Harry laughed. 

"Have you had any dreams since?" Hermione asked, ignoring Harry's joke.

"No, not really. I have the occasional nightmare, about," Harry began, but he instantly looked down at the comforter. Ron reached over and clapped his friend on the shoulder. "We know, you don't have to say it."

"But no dreams other than those, and none that make my scar do anything weird," Harry said, still staring at the comforter. 

"What do you think the tingling means?" Hermione asked. She reached over and placed her hand on Harry's knee. 

"I don't know. Voldemort wasn't doing anything particularly malicious in my dream, so maybe it's just a warning that he's doing SOMETHING but not necessarily something bad," Harry suggested. 

"Sounds reasonable," Hermione said. 

*****

Ginny pushed her chair away from the table and walked over to the rail of the terrace. She placed her hands on the rail and looked out on the lake. Braeden watched her for a moment, taking careful note of how the candlelight made her hair sparkle and how the moon outlined her pale figure. Then he stood up and walked over to her. He put his arms around her and crossed them on the rail over hers. She immediately leaned back into him and rested her head lightly on his shoulder. He could smell the Jasmine scent of her shampoo. 

"Thank you," she whispered.

"For what?" he asked.

"For the most awesome night of my entire life," she replied. He pulled her closer and tightened his arms around her. She reached up and placed her hands on his arms. They stood in silence for a little longer, listening to the string quartet inside play Pachelbel's "Canon in D Major."

"What are you thinking right this instant?" she asked.

"Je n'ai rien à dire parce qu'il n'y a rien que je peux dire qui décrirait comment je me sens aussi parfaitement que vous le méritez," he murmured. She nodded as though she knew what he had said. He loosened his grip on her and spun her to face him. She looked up into his blue eyes and smiled softly. He reached down and hooked a finger under her chin. He tilted her face up towards him and brushed his lips against hers. 

*****

Jo pushed open the door to Hermione's bedroom. The three teenagers had been quiet for quite some time. The lamp on the bedside table was still on, illuminating the three figures in the bed. Hermione lay in the middle, with Ron to her left and Harry to her right. Harry and Ron both had arms slung protectively across the other two friends. All three were sound asleep, and didn't look as though they had a care in the world. 

Jo knew Hermione's life wasn't as safe or as easy as she let on, but looking at her daughter lying between the two boys, she couldn't miss the serene expression on Hermione's face. She knew as long as the boys were around, Hermione would be fine. 


	5. Chapter 5

I'm an American college student, not a 30-something British woman. How could I possibly own Harry Potter?

Thanks to Natalie and Lucille

*****

"Ginny, breakfast!" Molly Weasley shouted to her only daughter. Hermione, Harry, Ron, the twins, and Bill were all crowded around the table already. Percy and Mr. Weasley had already left for work, and Charlie was still asleep. 

"I'm not hungry!" Ginny called back. She sounded either extremely mad or extremely sad, but Mrs. Weasley wasn't sure which.

"I wonder what has gotten into that girl. She's been like this since you call got back from Hermione's a week ago!" Mrs. Weasley muttered to herself. Ron and Harry both began coughing, but their coughing sounded suspiciously like "Braeden, she likes Braeden." The twins and Bill laughed, and Hermione just rolled her eyes.

"Guys, this is serious," she said.

"Who is Braeden?" Bill asked.

"Braeden is my older cousin," Hermione replied.

"Oh?" asked Mrs. Weasley.

"Yeah, he and Ginny got quite close while she was visiting my house, as he and his brothers are there until they go back to school," Hermione explained.

"Oh, that's so sweet!" Mrs. Weasley gushed.

"So sweet," echoed Bill. 

"Ginny's got a boyfriend!" Fred squealed. Bill laughed at his younger brother.

"Don't laugh Bill, you've got an Arabella," George said.

"I've also got a wand," Bill replied.

"So do we," Fred and George exclaimed at the same time.

"I can use mine outside of Hogwarts!" Bill said. The twins instantly shut up and looked towards their breakfast. 

"Ginny, are you sure you don't want something to eat?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"I told you mum, I'm not hungry!" Ginny cried. 

"She's got it bad," Ron muttered, shaking his head at his breakfast.

"I wonder how Braeden is doing," Harry said.

"Good question, I'm sure he misses her," Hermione said.

"Yeah, I'd say he does!" Ron exclaimed. The day they left, Ron had stumbled into Ginny's room to help her move her trunk downstairs. He had accidentally walked in on a bit of a snogging session between Ginny and Braeden. Needless to say, he wasn't a very happy camper. 

"You know what he told her the night they went out to dinner?" Hermione asked.

"What?" Harry asked. Ron didn't look as though he really wanted to know.

"Well, it was in French, but loosely translated, it means 'I have nothing to say because there is nothing I can say that would describe how I feel as perfectly as you deserve it'," Hermione squealed.

"That is so sweet!" gushed Molly. Fred, George, and Bill all exchanged mischievous glances. Harry and Ron just rolled their eyes. 

"I know. I didn't think my cousin had it in him," Hermione laughed. 

"So tell us about this boy," Bill prompted.

"He's 16," Hermione began.

"That's a little old," Fred and George said. This time their exchanged glance was more worried than mischievous. 

"She's fourteen, you guys need to come to terms with that!" Ron exclaimed. Fred, George, Bill and Mrs. Weasley all turned to look at Ron.

"Who is he and what have you guys done with our real Ron?" Bill asked incredulously.

"He's the real Ron, alright," Harry replied.

"You guys should meet Braeden, he's a really nice guy," Hermione added.

"HEY!" Ron exclaimed. Every one turned to look at Ron. "I know what would be a great surprise for Ginny!"

"What?" Fred and George asked suspiciously. 

"Braeden is still at your house, right Hermione?" Ron asked. 

"Yeah," said Hermione. She and Harry had half figured out where Ron was going with his line of questioning.

"What's saying he can't come here?" Ron asked, looking hopefully at his mother.

"Our house is connected to the floo network now," Hermione said.

"They're probably eating breakfast right now," Harry added, glancing at his watch.

"What's one more?" Mrs. Weasley asked, "but we're going to Diagon Alley today."

"So Braeden and Ginny can shop together," Ron said.

"I want to meet this guy," Bill said, automatically taking his role as the very over protective older brother.

"Alright," Mrs. Weasley agreed.

"Keep Ginny in her room, this is going to be an awesome surprise!" Ron exclaimed.

"Again, who are you and what happened to the real Ron?" Fred asked. 

"Braeden is a good guy and Ginny is obviously upset over him. It will be great for her to get to see him," Ron rationalized. Mrs. Weasley returned with the infamous flowerpot and handed it to her youngest son. Ron walked over to the fireplace and threw some powder in. He stepped in and shouted "Jo's House, England!" and in a minute, had disappeared. 

"Who is there?" Jo exclaimed, running into the den when she heard Ron fly out of the fireplace and hit the furniture.

"Hey Jo, it's just me," Ron said, standing up and brushing himself off. He had left in such a hurry that no one had bothered to put an anti soot charm on his robes. 

"What's wrong with Hermione?" Jo asked instantly.

"Oh, nothing," Ron replied, "it's actually Ginny."

"Ginny?" Jo asked.

"How is Braeden?" Ron asked.

"He's been out of the basement about once a day since Ginny left, no more than that. Ben can't stand him, so Ben has actually been being social," Jo admitted.

"How big of a problem would it be for him to come to the Burrow for the day to spend some time with Ginny before they both have to go back to school?" Ron asked.

"He would LOVE that!" Jo gushed. Before Ron could say anything else, she had turned and gone back into the kitchen. She returned a moment later pulling a very disgruntled looking Braeden by his left elbow. 

"Hey Braeden!" Ron exclaimed.

"What's happened to Ginny?" Braeden asked.

"Nothing! Boy you people are a positive bunch!" Ron exclaimed.

"Why are you here?" Braeden asked.

"Would you like to go back to the Burrow and meet the rest of our family and then go to Diagon Alley with us?" Ron asked. Braeden's face immediately brightened at the prospect.

"YES!" He cried. 

"Well come on, let's go! We need to get back into the kitchen before they manage to get Ginny down for breakfast," Ron said. He reached into his pocket for some more floo powder.

"Wait, I need to go get some stuff!" Braeden said. He ran from the room and returned a moment later wearing a black robe and holding his wand. 

"Alright, I'm ready to go!" Braeden exclaimed. Ron handed him a little of the floo powder and they both threw it into the fireplace. They stepped in and yelled "THE BURROW!" 

A moment later, Ron and Braeden flew out of the fireplace at the Burrow. They fell right at the feet of a semi circle of people. Ron looked up into the faces of four of his older brothers. Bill and the twins had dragged Charlie out of bed while Ron was gone, so only Percy was missing. All four older boys were scowling down at Braeden.

"And this is the welcome committee," Ron laughed nervously.

"Uh, hi guys, I'm Braeden Granger," Braeden said. He jumped up and extended his hand to Bill who was standing on his left. Bill shook his hand lightly.

"That's Bill, Charlie, Fred and George," Ron said, pointing at each of his brothers as he said his name.

"Percy's at work," supplied Hermione.

"So you're the boy our sister is so taken with?" Bill asked.

"Yes sir," replied Braeden. Bill's face broke into a broad grin.

"You'll do I suppose. Anyone that will call me sir!"

"Honestly, I think you've given him a big head!" Charlie laughed. Fred and George both smiled mischievously at him. 

"Hello dear, I'm Molly Weasley!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, pushing past her sons and over to Braeden. 

"How do you do, Mrs. Weasley?" Braeden asked, shaking Molly's hand warmly. 

"Where'd you get the robes?" George asked.

"Didn't anyone tell you? I'm a wizard, too. I go to Beaubaxtons," Braeden explained. Bill and Charlie exchanged an excited glance. George and Fred looked a little less nervous about their sister's man.

"Right then, I'll go get Gin," Molly said. She bustled out of the kitchen.

"Well Braeden, if you so much as," began Bill.

"Ron's already threatened to force feed me my own eyeballs with a spork," Braeden supplied.

"He also threatened castration too," but you were already out of the room for that part," Harry laughed.

"HARRY!" Braeden cried.

"Hey man!" Harry replied.

"Braeden!" Hermione whispered. She ran over and enveloped her cousin in a tight hug. 

"Did he really threaten to feed you your eyeballs?" George asked.

"Yes," replied Braeden.

"That's our ickle Ronniekins!" Fred laughed.

"GINNY! YOU MUST COME DOWN AND EAT BREAKFAST NOW! WE'RE LEAVING FOR DIAGON ALLEY SOON!" Mrs. Weasley shouted.

"I won't go!" Ginny called back. Hermione ran out of the room to aide Molly.

"Gin, you need to come down! I can't go shop all day with just the guys!" Hermione cried.

"Only for you, Hermione," Ginny replied, and they heard footsteps on the stairs. 

"Hide him!" Bill hissed.

"Get back to your breakfasts!" Ron insisted.

"Put this on!" Charlie whispered. He shoved a hat down on Braeden's head.

"Here, sit in Percy's seat. She won't know that he's already left for work," George said, shoving Braeden into a seat on the bench. Everyone else scrambled back into their seats just as Ginny entered the kitchen with Molly and Hermione close behind her. Ginny walked over to the table and threw herself down in her seat on the far end of the bench. 

"Good morning Ginny," Bill said.

"Morning Bill," she mumbled. Molly filled Ginny's plate with scrambled eggs. 

"Percy, shouldn't you be at work by now?" Ginny asked, looking down the table at the person sitting in Percy's seat.

"Uh," came Braeden's highly intelligent response. Ginny looked closer at the person.

"Bloody hell! Fred, George, you've really surpassed yourselves at the pranks this time," Ginny cried. Tears formed in her eyes and she pushed back from the table. "Suddenly I think I've lost my appetite."

"Ginny! It's me!" Braeden exclaimed. He jumped up from his spot and ran around the table towards Ginny. Ginny turned to look at him.

"Bill, hand me your wand," she insisted. Bill pulled his wand out of his pocket and tossed it to Ginny. She deftly caught it and pointed it at Braeden.

"_Finite Incantatem_," she exclaimed. When he didn't change into anything, she tossed the wand back to Bill. 

"Braeden!" she squealed, and dived into his arms. He caught her and spun her around several times. 

"Why didn't you think it was me?" Braeden asked. He sounded slightly hurt.

"You don't know the twins," came the unanimous reply from everyone in the kitchen besides Fred and George. They just smiled mischievously. 

"I've missed you so much," Ginny said.

"I've missed you too," Braeden said. They enveloped each other in another hug and then backed off and held the other at arms length, just looking into the others eyes. 

"Goodness guys, you've only been apart for a week," Ron mumbled into his plate of eggs.

"So which of you two was responsible for this?" Ginny asked, turning to Hermione and Harry.

"Actually, I was," Ron sheepishly admitted. 

"Very funny Ron," Ginny said, still looking expectantly at Hermione and Harry for an answer.

"It was Ron," Hermione insisted.

"Really Ginny, Ron showed up in the kitchen in Hermione's house just a few minutes ago and brought me back here," Braeden added.

"And before he even went, it was his idea," Harry's comment finally convinced Ginny. 

"Ron, you're the GREATEST big brother EVER!" Ginny cried. She ran over to Ron and flung her arms around him.

"Hey wait, what about us?" Bill asked. He sounded only slightly hurt by Ginny's comment.

"Did you go to Hermione's house to rescue Braeden?" Ginny countered. 

"No, but I lent you my wand to make sure Braeden was really Braeden," Bill said, and smiled hopefully at Ginny.

"So you're the second greatest big brother ever," Ginny replied. 

"That's reasonable," Bill agreed. 

"Is everyone done with breakfast?" Mrs. Weasley asked. After a pretty much unanimous yes, Mrs. Weasley sent the dishes towards the sink with a flick of her wand. Then she pulled out the flowerpot and held it out to each of the children in turn. Bill and Charlie went through first, followed by the twins, then Ginny and Braeden, then Harry and Ron and lastly Hermione and Mrs. Weasley. 

"Alright children. You have until 1 o'clock. At one, meet me at Madame Malkin's to buy your new robes," Mrs. Weasley said once they had all assembled in the Leaky Cauldron. 

"New Robes? We're getting new robes this year?" Ron asked as he, Harry, Hermione, Ginny and Braeden wandered away from the group in the direction of Diagon Alley. 

"Evidently Bill donated some money to our cause," Ginny said, "he got some sort of massive bonus for breaking a curse wizards had been working on for years."

"Why does no one ever tell me these things?" Ron asked. Harry and Hermione laughed at him. Hermione threw her arm around his waist and pulled him closer to her.

"It's okay Ronnie, we know you're still loveable," she laughed.

"Don't call me that! You've been hanging around the twins too long!" Ron cried.

"You're right, we have Ickle Ronniekins," Harry laughed. 

"HARRY!" Ron exclaimed.

"Ickle Ronniekins? Is that what they call you now?" a familiar drawl issued from just behind the five friends. Harry, Hermione and Ron turned around instantly to face Draco Malfoy. Braeden and Ginny went and stood behind the three friends.

"Fuck off, Malfoy," came Ron's highly intelligent reply. 

"Spending all summer with Potty and the mudblood hasn't improved your vocabulary, I see," Draco said. Crabbe and Goyle flanked him on both sides, as usual.

"WHAT did you just call her?" Braeden asked. His voice held fierceness that no one assumed he was capable of. 

"Who are you?" Draco asked.

"He's my friend," Ginny replied, before Hermione or Braeden could tell of their relationship. 

"By his own will, or is he riding Potter's fame too?" Draco asked.

"You never answered my question," Braeden spat. He stepped around in front of Hermione and Harry.

"I called her 'mudblood'," Draco replied calmly. He glanced at Crabbe and Goyle who took the hint and scowled at Braeden. 

"Why?" Braeden asked calmly.

"Well in case anyone hasn't informed you, Granger's parents are of the muggle variety," Draco said.

"I happen to know that better than most," Braeden replied. 

"How?" Draco asked, "You didn't date the mudblood did you?"

"Actually, no. I didn't date her. But that would be because she's my cousin! And, unlike pure bloods, I don't pick girlfriends off the family tree," Braeden replied. Harry and Ron looked at each other and smiled. Draco took a step towards Braeden. 

"We didn't become superior by inbreeding!" Draco spat.

"Then how did you remain pure blooded?" Braeden asked. Goyle and Crabbe stepped up to each of Draco's elbows. 

"You know, if you're Granger's cousin, then you're nothing but a mudblood either," Draco replied. Braeden was evidently sick of listening to Draco talk. His right fist connected with Draco's jaw with a sickening crack. 

"Do you have anything else smart to say?" Braeden asked.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do," Draco mumbled, although his jaw looked broken. "Get him, boys." Crabbe and Goyle stepped towards Braeden, but before either of them could do anything, Ron landed a kick meant to keep Crabbe from reproducing. Crabbe howled with pain and fell over.

"Get up you big goon!" Draco mumbled. His jaw really wasn't working the way anyone's jaw should. Ron stepped on Crabbe's stomach on his way to aide Braeden and Harry with controlling Goyle. Goyle had pushed Harry down and was swinging wildly at Braeden. Harry stood up and crept around behind Goyle. Braeden had managed to duck most of Goyle's advances, as Goyle couldn't hit anything unless Crabbe held the target still. With Crabbe out of commission, Goyle wasn't having much luck. Harry jumped up on Goyle's back and caught his hands around the larger boys neck. Goyle instantly forgot about Braeden and became more concerned with making Harry quit choking him. Braeden punched Goyle squarely in his nose. Goyle fell over on Harry. Harry screamed.

"_Stupefy, Stupefy, Stupefy, Stupefy, Stupefy, Stupefy_." A voice called. All six boys instantly went rigid and still, and those who weren't on the ground already joined those who were.

"Now what happened here?" another voice demanded. Ginny and Hermione turned to find Bill and Charlie Weasley and Lucius Malfoy standing behind them.

"Well, we were all walking along and Malfoy and his two goons came up behind us and Malfoy called Hermione and Braeden mudbloods," Ginny gave the very recapped version of what had happened.

"So Braeden punched Malfoy and Crabbe and Goyle attacked Braeden. Harry and Ron jumped in when it seemed that Braeden wouldn't be able to handle Crabbe and Goyle alone," Hermione finished Ginny's explanation. 

"Sounds reasonable enough," Bill and Charlie agreed.

"My son would never call anyone a mudblood. I've raised him better," Lucius Malfoy insisted. He pointed his wand at Draco "_enervate_." Draco sat up and clasped both hands to his broken jaw.

"Did you call Miss Granger and Braeden mudbloods?" Lucius asked. Draco nodded dumbly 

"DRACO CULLEN MALFOY!" Lucius roared. He grabbed Draco's arm and dragged him down Diagon Alley away from the Weasleys and Crabbe and Goyle. Draco stumbled along behind him with his other hand on his broken jaw. 

"Cullen?" Hermione asked, looking at Ginny. Bill and Charlie began reviving Harry, Braeden, and Ron. 

"I like it. Too bad it's Malfoy's middle name," Ginny said. 

"It means 'handsome one'," Hermione laughed.

"Someone's parents were a bit cocky," Ginny replied. 

"Did they hurt any of you three?" the girls heard Bill asked. They turned to see that Ron, Harry, and Braeden were all sitting side by side on the ground staring up at the two oldest Weasley brothers. 

"No, but I think Braeden hurt Malfoy," Harry said.

"Not as much as his father probably will," Bill said grimly more to Charlie than to the teenagers.

"Do you have to wake them up?" Ron asked, indicating to Crabbe and Goyle, who were still lying behind him, stunned.

"Yes, Ron, we do, but if you five would like to disappear before we do," Began Charlie.

"That would probably be the best idea," Bill finished. Charlie nodded in agreement. The boys didn't need any more encouragement. They all three jumped to their feet and ran over to the girls. Braeden laced his fingers through Ginny's and Harry and Ron took their characteristic positions on each side of Hermione. 

"You know, I'm quite glad my goons are smarter and cuter than Malfoy's," Hermione laughed. Ron and Harry both turned to look at her.

"What?" she asked, "With the way you two are walking now, it seems sorta like you're my body guards."

"You're not funny, Hermione!" Ron exclaimed, but the tone in his voice said that he thought otherwise. 

"So where are we going first?" Hermione asked.

"Quality Quidditch supplies!" Ron and Harry exclaimed.

"Fortescue's!" Ginny cried.

"What about Flourish and Blotts?" Hermione asked.

"The Quidditch place sounds good!" Braeden laughed. 

"You play Quidditch?" Harry asked.

"Yes, I'm the keeper for my house team at school," Braeden replied, "and you're Hogwarts youngest player in a century."

"Yeah," Harry replied.

"What about you?" Braeden asked Ron. The two younger boys steered the girls and Braeden towards the Quidditch store. 

"I'm trying out for the Gryffindor team this year," Ron said. 

"What kind of brooms do you have?" Braeden asked. Hermione and Ginny were silently amazed that the three boys had managed to go this long without talking about Quidditch. 

"I need a new one," came Ron's only answer, "what about you?"

"I've got a Nimbus 2000," Braeden replied "Harry?"

"I've got a Firebolt," Harry replied. 

"REALLY?" Braeden asked.

"Yes," admitted Harry. Ginny and Hermione rolled their eyes.

"I heard they're coming out with a Firebolt 2 sometime next year," Braeden said. 

"How can this stupid sport consume all of their time an conversation?" Hermione asked Ginny when it became definite that the boys would be interested in nothing besides Quidditch for quite some time. 

"Actually it's not that stupid," Ginny replied.

"Oh NO! Not YOU too!" Hermione cried.

"Hermione, I have six older brothers, of course I like Quidditch," Ginny replied.

"Are you a Cannon's fan too?" Hermione asked.

"Actually no, I'm a big fan of the Holyhead Harpies. They're the only all-witch team in the league," Ginny explained. 

"An all-witch team?" Hermione asked, "That could be interesting."

"They're better than the Cannons," Ginny laughed.

"Don't say that too loudly, Ron might go off," Hermione warned.

"Oh we've had several heated battles about it," Ginny replied.

"So why haven't you said anything about liking Quidditch before?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know. It's just never come up. And I like Quidditch, and absolutely love to play it, but I'm just not as enthusiastic about talking about it as the boys are," Ginny replied. 

"You play Quidditch too?" Hermione asked.

"Of course! When we play in the orchard near our house, it's always me, Ron and Bill against Fred, George and Charlie. Percy refs," Ginny explained.

"Which position do you play?" Hermione asked.

"Well, we play Weasley style Quidditch," Ginny admitted. "Charlie and Bill both play seeker and keeper and the twins, Ron and I all play kind of a combination of chaser and beater."

"That sounds like it could be interesting," Hermione said.

"Oh, it can be. At one point, Fred and George decided they were tired of playing both chaser and beater so they took Charlie's wand and bewitched their bat's to work on their own free will. Evidently the bat's didn't like Fred and George's attitudes, so the game was called off because the bat's wouldn't leave the twins alone," Ginny laughed. 

"Do you think you'll try out for the house team next year?" Hermione asked.

"I'm not sure. I've almost got enough money saved up to buy a Nimbus 2000, which isn't necessarily the best broom, but it will do for a chaser," Ginny said.

"You want to be a chaser?" Hermione asked. 

"Yes," Ginny said. "Ron wants to try out for Keeper this year."

"I heard Neville wants to try out for keeper too," Hermione replied. 

"Will his grandmother let him?" Ginny asked.

"That's questionable," Hermione laughed. 

"If you make the team, whom will I watch the games with?" Hermione asked.

"Neville?" Ginny suggested. Hermione had to laugh at her friend. 

"Who do you think the captain will be this year?" Hermione asked.

"Harry. Everyone else is graduating. And even if that has no affect on the choice, Alicia is head girl, I just don't see Katie or Angelina wanting to be captain, and well that leaves Fred and George. As much as I love my brothers, neither of them could handle the responsibility of being Quidditch captain," Ginny laughed.

"But Harry is young," Hermione countered.

"That's exactly why he'll get captain. They'll choose someone who will be with the team more than a year," Ginny explained.

"Makes sense," reasoned Hermione. 

"I don't believe it!" Ron exclaimed.

"Tell me I'm dreaming!" Harry added. Both boys were staring at Hermione and Ginny with expressions of awe on their faces.

"Hermione Granger is engaging in a conversation about Quidditch!" Ron finished. 

"Shove it Weasley," Hermione spat playfully at Ron. Harry opened the door to the Quidditch store and bounced inside. Braeden and Ron followed them almost as excitedly. 

"They look like little children at Christmas," Hermione laughed to Ginny. Braeden had dropped Ginny's hand to join Harry and Ron in ogling the racing brooms, despite the fact that Harry owned the best one made. 

"They're boys in a Quidditch shop, that's either just as bad or worse," Ginny explained. Hermione laughed at her. 

"Actually, I think Ron is buying his broom today. He's been saving birthday and Christmas money since he was about eight, and I think he's finally got enough for a Nimbus 2001," Ginny said.

"Really?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, he reckons that he should have a new broom if he's going to try out for the school team," Ginny said.

"Interesting. What kind of broom do you want, when you get one?" Hermione asked.

"A Firebolt would be preferable, but I'd have to convince mum and dad to sell the house to pay for one of those, so probably a Nimbus 2000 or 2001," Ginny explained. 

"How long do you think it will be before Lucius Malfoy buys Firebolts for the entire Slytherin team?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know if even Malfoy has enough money for that," Ginny laughed. Hermione laughed with her, and then they both stopped talking to watch Ron pay for his very own racing broom. 

"Oh great we're going to have to play Quidditch every day from now until school starts!" Ginny cried. 

"And you'll care?" Ron asked, waving his new broomstick in her face.

"I won't," Ginny replied, "now get the broom out of my face." Ron became content with admiring his new broomstick. Braeden threw his arm around Ginny's shoulders and she slipped her arm around his waist. 

"So we're the only single ones in the group, I suppose," Harry laughed to Hermione as they headed towards the ice cream parlor. 

"I suppose," Hermione laughed, and they surveyed the two couples. 

*****

Ten ice cream sundaes (Ron had two), 20 new school robes, 1 set of dress robes, six sets of schoolbooks, quite a few rolls of parchment, quills, ink, 4 containers of owl treats, 1 bag of cat food, 1 container of Sleekeasy's Hair Potion, six boxes of fireworks and 2 racing brooms (Ginny got hers too) later, the Weasley children and their friends found themselves sitting at the kitchen table at the Burrow.

"Who's up for Quidditch?" Ron asked, looking expectantly at his siblings, his best friend, and Braeden. 

"Want to try out the broom?" Fred queried.

"Of course!" Ron exclaimed.

"ME TOO!" cried Ginny.

"Count us in," said George.

"Bill, Charlie, Harry, Braeden?" Ron asked. 

"Braeden can have my position," Bill volunteered looking expectantly at Charlie.

"Charlie, go ahead and play, I've got something I want to talk to Bill about," Harry said.

"Are you sure?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah," Harry replied, "And Braeden, you can borrow my Firebolt if you'd like. Its upstairs in my trunk." Bill did a summoning spell and quickly enough the Firebolt was in Braeden's hand. The two teams and Hermione headed out towards the makeshift Quidditch pitch in the orchard. Bill took a seat at the table across from Harry. 

"What did you want to talk to me about?" Bill asked.

"My parents," Harry admitted.

"Ah, my parents and Dumbledore were warning me that this would be coming," Bill almost laughed.

"Really?" 

"Yes. They predicted that as soon as you realized I went to school with your parents, you'd have to ask me about them," Bill said.

"Did you know them well?" Harry asked.

"As well as could be expected under the circumstances," Bill replied.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, when I was a first year, James, Sirius, Remus, and Lily were all fifth years and Arabella was a fourth year. James and Lily were prefects, so of course I knew them because of their positions of power," Bill explained.

"But Arabella said you had pranked with the Marauders," Harry said.

"And that would be the other side of your parents I knew. The Marauders didn't particularly like outside help with their pranks. If they did need it, they asked me, Lily, or Arabella," Bill said.

"What all did you help them with?" Harry asked.

"More stuff than I care to remember. Where I was younger than them, it was easy for me to be a lookout or play a very minor but important role in their pranks. People could see me and no one would ever suspect I was in on what had happened, was happening, or was about to happen," Bill explained. Harry leaned his elbows on the table and propped his chin in his face. "The one where Snape almost died? Have you heard about that one?"

"Who hasn't?" Harry asked.

"I didn't realize it was that famous," Bill laughed, "At any rate, Snape has always had a bit of a gift with animals. He was out walking around the lake and a loveable stray black dog led him into the tunnel under the Whomping Willow. The Marauders had stationed me in the entrance hall with the map to make sure no one went outside that night. I wasn't sure exactly what was going on or anything, but then I noticed dots labeled Snape and Sirius headed off of the edge of the paper right towards the Forbidden Forest. It was a full moon and I had heard the rumors about the werewolves, so I sort of freaked out because they were headed right into the forest. I figured Snape had done something to Sirius so I freaked out and got James. He evidently saved them both. I didn't understand why Sirius got detention for that until much later."

"So you're really the one who saved Snape's life," Harry said.

"Not hardly," Bill replied, "it was all James. I just had the sense to get his attention."

"Why him and not a professor?"

"That's the way the Marauders were. If one was in trouble, they preferred to have the other Marauders alerted over the professors. Less trouble for everyone that way," Bill explained.

"How did Fred and George learn to work map?" Harry asked.

"When the Marauders graduated, they passed the map down to me and Arabella, telling us to pass it on to the most promising pranksters in a younger year when we, mainly I, graduated. The most promising prankster after the two of us was Gus Fletcher, so we passed the map to him. Before he could pass it on, he lost it to Filch in a good prank gone awry. Fred and George stole the map back in their first year. They showed it to me and I recognized it so I told them when they pulled their first prank on Snape, I would tell them how to work it."

"Way to carry on the Marauders tradition," Harry laughed.

"I thought so. At any rate. Fred and George played a very risky prank in their second year so I taught them how to work the map," Bill replied.

"What did they do?" Harry asked eagerly.

"They created a hair washing potion that they weren't sure would work and caused enough of a disturbance in the great hall to slip it into Snape's drink at dinner time. The potion only worked if ingested, so when Snape drank the potion, his hair was automatically clean," Bill explained.

"I wonder what Snape looked like with clean hair! Harry exclaimed. 

"Evidently the twins potion worked rather well and Snape's hair was automatically clean. And there is also a good reason for Snape to have greasy hair."

"What's that?" Harry asked.

"His hair is naturally curly and quite bushy, so it sticks out everywhere," Bill explained, "and the twins potion actually worked well enough so as to give him an Afro." Harry almost fell out of his chair at the thought of Snape with an Afro. He doubled over with laughter, putting his head between his knees under the table.

"Of course, everyone was pretty sure who did it, so the twins had several weeks worth of detentions, but I'm sure it was amusing all the same," Bill said.

"I'm sure," Harry gasped. "So what about my mother?"

"Lily Evans was gorgeous, to say the least," Bill said.

"You fancied my mum?" Harry asked. His jaw dropped and he looked at Bill wide-eyed.

"No, not really, but it was general opinion that she was gorgeous. I fancied Arabella," Bill admitted.

"Obviously," Harry laughed.

"But your mum was gorgeous. And she was very intelligent too. As I'm sure you've heard, she was a fantastic charms student. In fact, if she had lived, she would probably have been Flitwick's replacement when he retires."

"Really?"

"More than likely. Her best friends were Remus and Arabella."

"Remus?"

"Yes, Remus. Sirius and James were inseparable, and Remus was very close to them too, but Remus sort of alternated between hanging out with the guys and the girls," Bill explained.

"Who did she date before my father?"

"Um actually, she and James were pretty much inseparable from about their fifth year on," Bill explained, "a lot of our success as a team could be credited to them."

"A team?"

"Your mother was a fantastic Quidditch player," Bill said.

"My mum played Quidditch?"

"Yes, she was a beater. Arabella was the other beater, James, Sirius and Remus were the chasers and Wormtail was the keeper."

"Who played seeker?" Harry asked.

"Oh, that was me," Bill smiled.

"Were you all good as a team?"

"We were fantastic. The guys knew each other's moves perfectly and flew seamlessly. Then Lily and James had some sort of odd connection going on where Lily always knew where to place a bludger to block for James. And the chasers usually ran the score up so high that I didn't even really need to catch the snitch, although I usually did."

"What about the keeper?"

"His skills at keeping goals were comparable to his skills at keeping secrets," Bill said ruefully. "But because the rest of our team was so good, he could suck arse."

"Oh," Harry said, looking at the table.

"I'm sorry, Harry, I shouldn't have said that," Bill apologized.

"No, it's okay," Harry said.

"Wormtail had an inferiority complex from the time I knew him. He was always trying SO hard to prove himself to the Marauders," Bill said. Harry nodded mutely. "I don't know what Dumbledore was thinking when he let your parents change their secret keeper. I would have been a better secret keeper than that," and Bill let loose a string of expletives, half of which Harry had never heard. 

"So my mum was a beater, eh?" Harry asked to get the subject away from what was so obviously upsetting Bill.

"Yeah. She was fabulous," Bill laughed. Harry could just picture his petite mother flying around the Quidditch pitch a la the Weasley twins.

"Better or worse than Fred and George?" Harry asked.

"As a single player, better, but Fred and George are better as a pair than she and Arabella were. I think that has something to do with them being twins though. I swear, the two of them are telepathic," Bill laughed.

"I'd believe it. Some of the stuff they do on the field is simply amazing," Harry said.

"As it is their seventh year, I'm going to try to make it to more of their games," Bill said. 

"Won't you be in Egypt?" Harry asked.

"No, I got transferred back here to work on some very special projects concerning a possible discovery of the Isle of Avalon," Bill explained, "After breaking that last curse, they decided they would be better served to have me working here." 

"And because," Harry hesitated a moment before continuing his sentence.

"Yes, 'and because' Harry, leave it at that," Bill instructed. Harry nodded again.

"Boys, go out to the pitch and get everyone else, its almost time for dinner," Mrs. Weasley instructed as she bustled into the kitchen. Bill and Harry jumped up from their seats and headed out towards the orchard. 

"Bill?" Harry asked.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks," Harry said.

"No problem," Bill said. He clapped Harry on his back in a very 'way-to-go-you-just-won-the-Quidditch-match' way rather than the 'I-just-spilled-my-guts-about-your-dead-parents' way the situation deserved. 

"HEY GUYS!" a voice from closer to the orchard called. Harry and Bill looked over and saw the four younger Weasley brothers and Hermione walking towards them.

"Mum says it's dinner time!" Bill called back.

"Yeah. Gin and Braeden should be here in a few minutes. They in the orchard having a discussion," Charlie cried.

"That can't be good!" Bill exclaimed. 

"They'll be fine!" Ron said.

%%%%%

"Ginny, what are we going to do?" Braeden asked.

"About what?" Ginny played dumb. Braeden laced his arm around her waist as they sat on the makeshift Quidditch pitch. 

"About us," Braeden said.

"You've got to go back to Jo's soon," Ginny said.

"Even more than that, Gin, I've got to go back to France soon, and you're going back to school." Ginny looked down at her shoes and tried to ignore the tears forming in her eyes. 

"Ginny, I meant what I said the other night about you meaning the world to me," Braeden continued in a shaky voice. 

"And I meant what I said to you too," Ginny replied. A couple of tears slipped down her cheeks. 

"But Gin, as you do mean the world to me, I can't stand to see you sad," Braeden said. He reached over and brushed the tears away. 

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Ginny asked.

"Ginny, if we were together and had to be apart, it would make you sad. I don't want that. I'm saying that we shouldn't officially be boyfriend and girlfriend. I mean, remember how we were this past week?" Ginny nodded dumbly. "I don't want you to go through a year like that."

"Braeden, I'm going to miss you SO much!"

"I'll miss you too Gin. We've got to keep in touch, but I don't want to put you through having a long distance relationship," Braeden said. 

"But I don't want any other guys!" Ginny cried.

"And I don't want any other girls, but still, we're going to be in separate countries, feelings might change," Braeden said.

"Agreed," Ginny said. Tears still poured silently down her face. 

"I'll miss you," Braeden said. He pulled Ginny backwards so that they were both lying on their backs, entangled in each other's arms, staring at the stars. 

"I'll miss you too."


	6. Chapter 6

I think we've been over this enough. I own nothing! ('cept the plot I suppose).

Thanks to Natalie and Lucille

I like reviews

Thanks to all those who have reviewed this so far.

That being said:

*****

"Harry, do you have your cloak?" Fred asked. Fred, George, Ron, and Harry were all standing in Ron's room furiously throwing things into their Hogwarts trunks. 

"Yes, I packed it first," Harry said.

"Good," Fred said. He smiled at George mischievously as he dropped another box of Filibuster's Fireworks into his trunk. Ron was desperately trying to get Pig to go into his cage. Fred and George's dignified Barn Owl, Argus, already sat in its cage watching the proceedings closely. Fred and George had named their owl after Filch. It's full name was Argus Without Whom We Would Have Never Gotten So Many Detentions, but they reckoned that was a bit long so they just called him Argus. The people at the Owl Registration Bureau had a fit with the owl's name though. 

"Boys! We're leaving for Kings Cross in 5 minutes!" Mrs. Weasley called from the bottom of the stairs.

"How are we getting there this year?" Harry asked as he shoved his underwear filled cauldron into the last available space in his trunk and tried to pull the lid closed.

"Bill is driving us," George said. He, too, closed his trunk. Ron threw a few more things into his trunk and deemed his packing complete. The three boys headed out of the room, not waiting for Fred. They dragged their trunks out to where Hermione and Ginny were already waiting. Bill, Charlie and the two girls were standing next to a yellow and purple Volkswagen Beetle.

"We're all going to Kings Cross in that?" Ron asked incredulously.

"Yes, something like that," Bill laughed.

"How much have you enlarged it?" Fred asked. He had just appeared out of the house in time to hear the conversation transpiring between his brothers.

"I haven't," Bill said.

"And you expect all," George stopped to name everyone silently and count the people off on his fingers, "nine of us to fit in there?" 

"No, I expect you four, Hermione, Ginny and myself to fit in here. Charlie and mum will Apparate," Bill explained. 

"Still, won't that be a little difficult?" Fred asked. Bill pulled at his wand and pointed it at the assembled luggage. He muttered a few words of Latin and suddenly all six trunks, four owl's cages and one cat basket were miniature. 

"Way to go, Bill! We won't know whose is whose till they're big again!" Fred exclaimed. He picked up one of the little owls cages and peered inside. "I think this is Detention, George." George took the miniature from Fred and looked closely at it. Everyone else picked up a trunk and put it in his or her pocket.

"If I pull out Ginny's knickers when I'm unpacking tonight, you're going to get it, Bill!" Ron exclaimed as he dropped his chosen trunk into his pocket. Ginny turned red at the mention of her knickers. 

"In the car, kids!" Molly Weasley exclaimed. 

"I get the front seat!" Fred and George both cried at the same time.

"All right, I'll share," they continued. Harry, Ginny, Hermione and Ron all climbed into the backseat of the Beetle. Fred and George arranged themselves in the front seat and Bill slid into the driver's seat. 

"Alright, mum, we'll see you there," he said as he closed his door. Mrs. Weasley and Charlie waved as Bill backed the atrociously colored car out of the driveway. 

"Bill, are you sure you didn't magic the backseat?" Hermione asked. The four friends found they had no problem fitting into the seat. Bill smiled mischievously at them in the rearview mirror. 

"Mum wouldn't approve after dad's flying car," he said.

"Does this one fly?" Fred asked.

"Not yet!" Bill said excitedly, "I'm working on it though." Fred and George immediately became interested in the gadgetry Bill HAD already installed on the car. Ginny stared blankly out of the window, more than likely thinking of Braeden. He had owled her every day since his visit to the Burrow. Hermione pulled a book out of her shoulder bag and began to read, and Harry and Ron immersed themselves in a conversation about their second favorite topic; girls. 

*****

"Hurry boys, you're going to be late!" Mrs. Weasley urged. She and Charlie met Bill and the others just outside of Kings Cross. Hermione and Ginny had already headed through, but Fred, George, Harry and Ron were straggling just a bit. Mrs. Weasley jumped behind them and herded them towards the barrier.

"Mum, won't it be a bit obvious if we all go through the barrier at once?" Fred asked.

"Good point, Harry and Ron, you go," Mrs. Weasley instructed. Ever since the unfortunate incident in their second year, Mrs. Weasley never let Harry and Ron go through the barrier last. Fred and George followed Harry and Ron and Mrs. Weasley followed the twins. Bill and Charlie had gone ahead with Hermione and Ginny.

"Well then, I expect you all to behave," Mrs. Weasley said as she began on her round of bone crushing hugs.

"Bill Weasley!" A familiar voice called. Fred, George and Harry all turned to see Arabella Figg rushing towards Bill.

"Bella!" Bill exclaimed, he turned an enveloped her in a hug. 

"Hey Ms. Arabella, what are you doing here?" Harry asked.

"My nephew Gus is starting his first year. His parents are away in America on business, so they asked me to bring him here and get him on the train," Arabella explained. She pointed over at a very small boy with curly red hair. Before the conversation could progress any farter, Mrs. Weasley wrapped her arms around Harry and pulled him into one of those hugs. 

"Now Harry, I want you to be safe this year. Don't get into any trouble and always listen to what your professors say," Mrs. Weasley instructed.

"Like he'll pay attention to that," Ron snorted, but Mrs. Weasley moved on to telling Hermione goodbye. 

"Hey you guys, look at that!" Hermione exclaimed just after Mrs. Weasley moved to Ginny. She pointed over behind the boys. Harry and Ron both turned to look in the direction she was pointing.

"It's Malfoy," Ron stated rather bluntly.

"Yes, it's Malfoy, but look what else," Hermione prompted. Harry and Ron looked a little closer. Malfoy stood shaking hands with his father. Narcissa stood just past them giving instructions to two smaller versions of Draco. The only difference between the two small ones and Draco was that one of the new children was obviously a girl. Her Malfoy-blonde hair hung down to just past her shoulder blades in soft waves. The boy looked almost exactly like Draco. 

"I think we're all seeing things," Ron said, rubbing his eyes. Harry took his glasses off, wiped them on his robe, then returned them to his face and looked at the scene again. "No, I don't think we are. That surely looks like two little Malfoys."

"Exactly what I was thinking," Hermione said.

"Why didn't he ever mention having little siblings?" Ron asked.

"When have you ever had a civil conversation with Malfoy for that topic to come up?" Hermione countered. Harry laughed and Ron turned bright red. 

"This year just got interesting by a lot," Harry said.

"And we're not even on the train yet," Hermione muttered. Ron just shook his head and pulled his friends towards the train. Bill, Charlie and Mrs. Weasley all waved at their retreating backs. Fred and George had already disappeared and Ginny was off somewhere with a friend of hers from her year. 

"Do we get to sit in the prefect compartment this year?" Ron asked.

"Yes, but, if it's all the same to you, I'd rather not," Harry said. Hermione directed them over towards their regular compartment near the back of the train. The three went into the compartment and sat down, Harry and Ron sat on one side and Hermione sat with her back to the front of the train, facing the boys. Then the train started moving and Harry and Ron pressed themselves against the window. Harry hung his tongue out of his mouth and Ron blew a raspberry on the glass. Hermione jumped up behind them and waved to the three remaining Weasleys. Charlie and Bill (who had his arm around Arabella) both doubled over in laughter. Mrs. Weasley put her hand on her hip and said something to the boys that they couldn't hear. When they could no longer see the three people on the platform, they all collapsed back into their seats. 

"You boys are too much!" Hermione laughed.

"What would you do without us?" Ron asked, smiling sweetly.

"Be sane?" Hermione suggested. 

"Shove it, Hermione," Ron instructed. Hermione crossed her arms over her chest and tried to look hurt. It didn't work very well, and all three friends dissolved into a fit of laughter. 

"Hey guys, can we sit in here?" Fred asked. He and George pulled open the door of the compartment and stood in the doorway.

"Sure," Hermione said. She patted the seat next to her and Fred sat down. George took the seat next to the door on Harry and Ron's side of the compartment.

"Have either of you seen Ginny?" George asked.

"She left with Jae back on the platform," Hermione said. 

"A friend in her year?" George queried.

"Honestly George, don't you pay attention to anything? Jae Lucas is one of Ginny's closest friends in her year, and the only girl she actually associates with," Fred exclaimed. Hermione looked across the compartment to Harry and Ron and raised her eyebrow at Fred's perceptiveness. They just shrugged their shoulders. 

"Anyone for Exploding Snap?" George asked. He fished a deck of cards out of his pocket. Harry and Ron jumped at the opportunity, but Hermione declined and pulled a book out of her backpack instead. The boys settled into their game and Hermione settled into her book and none of them realized that the entire train ride passed without a single interruption from Malfoy until the train stopped in Hogsmeade Station.

"I wonder why Malfoy and his goons didn't come bother us," Ron said when the train jolted to a halt and they all realize at approximately the same time how peaceful their ride had been.

"He's probably showing the kids around the train and just never made it back here," Harry said logically.

"What kids?" Fred asked.

"Didn't you see?" Hermione replied.

"Malfoy has a little brother and sister or some little cousins or something here as first years!" Harry exclaimed. 

"More than one Malfoy at Hogwarts?" George asked.

"Yes, more than one Malfoy," Hermione laughed.

"Only it's not really funny," Fred said. He and George had identical shocked expression on their faces. 

"Fred, George, over here!" Lee Jordan cried from next to a horseless carriage.

"See you guys up at the castle," Fred cried and he and George ran over to join Lee. Hermione, Ron and Harry headed over to their own horseless carriage.

"'ARRY!" A familiar voice boomed out over the crowd before the three friends could get to their carriage. They all three turned to look at Hagrid.

"Hi, Hagrid," Harry replied. Hermione and Ron waved furiously at their half-giant friend.

"'S good to see ya. Come down to the hut for some tea soon," Hagrid instructed.

"We will!" Hermione replied. 

"Of course!" Harry and Ron agreed.

"Right then. FIRST YEARS! THIS WAY!" The smallest of all of the children present (the exception possibly being 2nd year Dennis Creevey) fought their way towards Hagrid. Harry, Ron and Hermione climbed into their horseless carriage. Ginny was already seated inside.

"Where is Jae?" Hermione asked as she took a seat next to her friend.

"She went with Colin and two of the guys," Ginny replied, "and I decided to come find you guys."

"Have you seen the two little Malfoys?" Ron asked.

"Yes, I saw them. I think they're twins," Ginny said, "And they're definitely Malfoy's younger siblings. I heard him say something about his brother to Crabbe and Goyle, and the boy and the girl look too much alike for her to be a cousin."

"So Ginny knows more than we do," Ron laughed. 

"I can't believe there are two more Malfoys!" Harry exclaimed.

"I can't believe I'm not going to get to see Braeden until Christmas, possibly later," Ginny whined.

"Is that all you think about?" Ron asked. Ginny considered his question for a moment before honestly answering "no."

"You could have fooled me!" Ron exclaimed.

"Well, I think about him all of the time except when thoughts of being hungry or needing to use the loo cross my mind," Ginny explained. Ron rolled his eyes and Harry and Hermione had to laugh at the two of them. 

"He owled me the other day!" Ginny squealed.

"As he has every day since he left the Burrow," Ron muttered. Harry nodded in agreement. 

"He did?" Hermione decided to act like Ginny's news was actually news rather than something they had all learned to live with. "What did he have to say?"

"He said to tell you all he says hello," Ginny told the group. Then she turned to Hermione. "I miss him so much."

"I'm sure you do, Gin," Hermione replied. She squeezed the younger girls shoulder.

"He's the sweetest guy. You'll never believe what he said in the letter!"

"If it's anything as saccharine laced as his French statement at the restaurant, I'm not sure I want to know," Hermione replied.

"Honestly Hermione, you've been hanging around with those two for way too long!" Ginny cried, "But at any rate, he said ' if I could reach up and grab a star for every time you've crossed my mind, the entire night sky would be in the palm of my hand.'" Hermione clasped her hands to her open mouth.

"Gin, that is about the sweetest thing I think I've ever heard!"

"Isn't it?" Ginny asked. Ron's face was turning a dangerous shade of red and Harry was beginning to look a little nervous.

"I really didn't realize Braeden could be so sweet!" Hermione cried.

"So Ron, how about those Cannons?" 

*****

"Man, it is GREAT to be back!" Ron cried as he and his friends stepped inside the doors of the castle. 

"I suspect this would be a bit nicer than your family's shack," Malfoy spat from just behind Ron.

"Don't pay attention to him," came the general comment from Harry, Hermione, and the three other Weasley children.

"He's not worth my time," Ron said.

"You don't want to get a detention before the feast," Hermione pointed out. 

"Braeden already broke his jaw," Harry reminded his friend. Surprisingly enough, Ron stayed calm until they reached the Gryffindor table in the great hall where he could totally relax. Harry took the seat across from Ron. Harry sat across from Ron and Ginny sat to Harry's right. Hermione sat to Harry's left. Fred sat across from Hermione and George sat on the other side of Fred. Dean took the seat on Ron's other side and Neville sat next to Ginny. As soon as he took his seat, Neville promptly turned red and couldn't form a sentence of coherent English. Dean, Ron, Ginny and the twins promptly started up a conversation about Quidditch that lasted right into the sorting. Harry and Hermione decided that, as prefects, they should probably watch the sorting, but they were quite distracted by the Quidditch conversation. 

"Shh, I want to see little Malfoys get sorted," Harry finally spat at Ron when McGonagall finally got to the part of the sorting he and Hermione really wanted to see. He peered around his best friend to look at the two miniature Dracos standing at the front of the line of first years. 

"Why are you so interested?" Ron asked. 

"Possibly since there are now three of them here and, well," Harry didn't finish his sentence because Professor McGonagall had called "Keiran Malfoy." The male twin strode confidently to the three-legged stool, a la Draco five years before. Professor McGonagall began to place the hat on Keiran's head, but before it came within six inches of his white blonde hair, it screamed "SLYTHERIN!" 

"Figures," Ron spat.

"It would be oddly appropriate wouldn't it? His name means 'little dark one,'" Hermione said. Harry looked at his friend, surprised.

Keiran ran over and took a seat next to his older brother and idol at the Slytherin table. Draco clapped the boy heartily on his back. Keiran smiled up at his brother.

"Abigail Malfoy!" Professor McGonagall called. The female twin walked up to the stool.

"Oh goodness. If Keiran's name means "little dark one" and Draco's means "dragon," then Abigail must be something else," Hermione muttered more to her empty plate than to either of her friends.

"Abigail means 'the insufferable git known as Lucius Malfoy now has too many sets of ears and eyes inside Hogwarts for our own good?'" Ron guessed. Hermione glared at him. 

"Almost as bad, Abigail means 'my father rejoices,'" Hermione replied, giving Ron a look that said quite clearly "you should know that." 

Abigail nervously approached the stool and sat down. She wasn't nearly as confident as either of her brothers had been. Professor McGonagall began to lower the sorting hat onto Abigail's head. She paused about six inches from the small girls silvery hair, but the hat didn't sort the child just yet. McGonagall placed the hat fully on Abigail's head.

"So Lucius's favorite child isn't a Slytherin before the hat touches her head," Harry laughed. The hat was still on Abigail's head. People around the Great Hall were beginning to look anxiously at Abigail. A hush fell over the room as Abigail still sat on the stool with the hat on her head. Draco and Keiran looked especially worried. Draco had his hand on his younger brother's shoulder and both of them looked at their sister with especially puzzled looks on their faces. McGonagall turned to shoot Dumbledore a quizzical look. Dumbledore offered his characteristic half smile, his blue eyes twinkling merrily. 

The rip at the brim of the hat opened. Everyone leaned in closer even though hearing the hat was never a problem

"Are you sure?" the hat asked.

"YES!" Abigail insisted indignantly.

"Alright then," began the hat.

Everyone leaned in a few inches farther. Draco and Keiran wore identical terrified expressions. The Malfoy tradition of not showing emotion had obviously been abandoned.

"GRYFFINDOR!!" The hat screamed, rather louder than usual. No one in the hall made a sound. Abigail pulled the hat off her head and handed it McGonagall. A broad grin broke across her typically Malfoy face. Hermione, Ron, and Harry all looked at each other, dumbstruck. What would having a Malfoy in Gryffindor house mean for the three of them, especially Harry?

"She's a Malfoy!" Ron exclaimed, rather loudly.

"Well noticed, Weasley!" Draco sneered from the Slytherin table. Abigail climbed onto the bench in the seat next to Hermione. 

"Hi you guys!" she exclaimed. She smiled a very un Malfoy like smile, showing two rows of perfectly white teeth. 

"Hi Abigail," Hermione said. Harry and Ron just stared warily at the little girl.

"Oh please don't call me that name," Abigail said.

"Why not?" Hermione asked.

"Because it's a bit of a joke. I go by Astrid," Astrid explained.

"How is your name a joke?" Ron asked, not trying to conceal the hatred in his voice.

"It means," began Astrid.

"My father rejoices," supplied Harry, "Hermione's already told us that much.

"Yeah, well, my father didn't rejoice to much when my sister and I were born. He never wanted daughters, just sons," Astrid explained, matter of factly.

"So Keiran is really a girl?" Ron asked. Harry tried hard not to laugh out loud, as the sorting was still going on.

"No. Keiran is as male as Voldemort is back. We have a little sister. Her name is Emma and she's a year younger than us." Astrid said.

"There is another one of you?" Ron asked.

"Oh shove it. Its not like there aren't enough of you Weasley's running around," Astrid snapped. Instantly four red heads snapped towards the small Malfoy.

"And I'm sorely outnumbered aren't I?" Astrid asked, "I'm really sorry about that you guys. I didn't mean it that way. Its just that after spending all summer with Draco and Keiran."

"Don't you mean your whole life?" Harry asked. He tried to ignore the comment about his best friends family.

"Not really. Emma and I went to Muggle boarding school from the time we were five until now," Astrid explained, "Mum wanted to keep us as far away from Lucius as possible."

"TUCK IN!" Dumbledore called from the head table. The questioning of little Malfoy had made all of them completely miss his welcome speech. Instantly the plates in front of them filled with all sorts of delicious food.

"So how did you manage to get into Gryffindor?" George asked.

"I simply told the stupid hat not to put me into Slytherin," Astrid said. Everyone besides Harry looked a little bewildered.

"And it listened?" Ron asked.

"Well, I accompanied my anti Slytherin thoughts with some particularly vicious ones about my hair turning to razor wire," Astrid laughed.

"Why would you want your hair to turn to razor wire?" Neville asked.

"If her hair were covered in razors, and the hat were on her head, what would happen to the hat?" Dean asked. Neville turned bright red and looked into his food. 

"So you basically," began George.

"Played a prank," continued Fred.

"On the SORTING HAT!" they finished in unison. Astrid looked at them, a sort of half-smile playing across her lips.

"Yeah," she said, "yeah I did." The Weasley twins looked at each other and then both looked at Astrid.

"Unbelievable," said George.

"Amazing," continued Fred. Ron rolled his eyes and glared at his brothers. 

"Who pissed in your cornflakes, ickle Ronniekins?" George asked. He and Fred laughed outright. Ginny smiled into her food. Ron's eyes grew wide and he looked from one of his brothers to another.

"Ron! Chill out! It's a muggle expression meaning what's wrong with you? No one pissed in your breakfast food this morning!" George exclaimed.

"This morning," Fred echoed. Ron glared coldly at him. Ginny had her head between her knees under the table trying to hide her laugher. She only succeeded in making herself look more suspicious. 

"So are there any more little Malfyos running about that we need to know about?" Ginny asked when she finally emerged from under the table.

"Well, of course you're all very familiar with Draco. And then Keiran. You won't meet Emma until next year, and Barrett died when Keiran and I were 6," Astrid said, quite bluntly.

"Barrett?" Hermione asked.

"Our baby sister. She was only 6 months old" Astrid looked down into her plate and didn't finish her sentence.

"How did she die?" Ron asked. He immediately felt three kicks under the table; one each from Harry, Hermione, and Ginny.

"Which one of you broke Draco's jaw this summer?" Astrid asked, quickly changing the subject.

"That would be my cousin Braeden. He goes to Beaubaxtons," Hermione replied.

"Tell him thank you. Lucius insisted on making Draco heal the muggle way, meaning he had to be quiet for almost a week before Lucius finally healed him magically," Astrid laughed.

"ATTENTION STUDENTS!" Dumbledore's magically magnified voice echoed though the hall. All of the conversations stopped and all of the students looked up at their headmaster.

"I have an additional announcement that I need to make. In lieu of last years Tournament, the headmasters of Durmstrang, Beaubaxtons, and Salem Academy, the Eastern American wizards school, and I have organized a inter-school Quidditch tournament," Dumbledore announced. Harry, Ron, Fred, and George all exchanged excited glances. Hermione and Ginny looked generally worried. No one noticed the look of pure happiness on Astrid's face. "The team will consist of players from each house team, chosen by an impartial judge."

"Yeah, we know what happened last time one of those was used," Draco muttered just loud enough for a few certain people to hear. His pointed glare in Harry's general direction was enough for everyone who didn't hear him to figure out basically what he said.

"Will we still have the inter-house cup?" someone at the Ravenclaw table asked.

"Yes, we certainly will. The inter-school matches will just be an added bonus," Dumbledore smiled down at his students and took his seat. The idle chatter started up again.

"I wonder who the new Defense professor is," Ron stated. All of the older Gryffindors turned to look at the empty seat at the head table. 

"I wonder why Dumbledore didn't mention it in his opening statements," Fred said.

"You're saying you paid attention to the opening statements?" Hermione looked at Fred accusingly.

"Hermione, dear, as a matter of fact, you're not the only one here perceptive enough to pay attention to more than one thing at a time," Fred said, glaring sweetly at Hermione. Hermione looked shocked.

"Are you saying you can?" Ron asked his older brother.

"Ah, well, actually yes I can. How do you think we've managed to pull off half of the pranks we've done?" Fred replied. Hermione rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to Astrid. However, before she could start another conversation with the girl, Alicia Spinnet approached their section of the table.

"Hermione, Harry, Ron. I need you three to show the first years to Gryffindor tower and their dorms," Alicia instructed.

"Sure thing, Alicia," Ron replied. Harry and Hermione just nodded. Ron turned to his brothers with a broad grin plastered across his face, making sure his prefect badge was shining right in their faces.

"Third bloody prefect in the family," George muttered under his breath.

"You'd think they'd have learned by now that we have more fun than the rest of them combined. Who'd want to be a prefect?" Fred added. 

"As a matter of fact, I do," Ginny spat.

"Yeah, me too," Astrid piped up.

"Great," muttered Fred.

"We're surrounded by three prefects and two prefect wanna be's!" George continued.

"Draco's a prefect," Astrid said.

"Who's the other Slytherin prefect?" Harry asked.

"Blaise," Astrid replied, "Blaise Zabini. Evidently he's been being absolutely arrogant about it, too."

"A little Percy, except in Slytherin?" George asked.

"Percy being one of your older brothers?" Astrid asked.

"Yeah, the completely un-cool one," Fred said.

"He can't be that bad," Astrid said.

"Do you find cauldron bottoms interesting?" Ginny queried.

"No."

"He's that bad," replied George. Astrid rolled her eyes and looked down towards the end of the table. "Who are all of these people?"

"How about we explain later?" Harry asked. He looked at the massive amount of people at the Gryffindor table. 

"At least who are the first year girls? I'm going to have to share a room with them, so I should probably at least know their names to make it look like I was the least bit interested in the sorting." Ron and Harry looked helplessly at Hermione.

"The girl sitting across from Seamus and Dean is Seamus' little sister Karey Finnegan. The girl sitting next to her with the curly black hair is Madeline O'Conner. The little girl sitting down at the end with the chasers is Hailey Johnson, Angelina's little sister, and then the little girl with the Creevey brothers is Evelyn Creevey," Fred explained. Astrid nodded and tried to remember everything Fred had just told her. Everyone else looked at Fred with varying degree's of shock on their faces. 

"The Creevey's have a sister?" Ron asked. Everyone else was more amazed at the way Fred recounted the names of the new kids.

"No, I believe she's their cousin," Hermione replied, "I heard them say something about it on the train." As if on cue, Colin Creevey got up from his seat and ran down to where Harry and his friends were sitting, pulling the little girl along with him. His brother followed the two of them a little more slowly.

"Harry, how's it going?" Colin asked. He was trying to be cooler about his adoration than he had in previous years, but he was obviously not doing very well.

"It's going pretty well Colin. How was your summer?" Harry asked.

"Oh my summer was great. I want you to meet my little sister Evelyn," Colin said. He pushed the shy looking girl towards Harry. "See Evie, I told you Harry Potter went to my school. I told you you'd get to meet him!" 

"Hi." Evelyn said, rather quietly. She never looked away from Harry's scar. 

"Come on Colin, I think they want to finish their dinners," Dennis said. He tugged at the back of his brother's robes. Colin and Evelyn went back down to their seats at the table.

"Smart one, he is," said Ron, looking after Dennis.

"Mark this day in your calendars ladies and gents, cause it's going down in history as the day the great Hermione Granger was wrong!" George exclaimed.

"Eat dung, George Weasley," Hermione spat. Only Harry's hand on her wand arm stopped her from hexing him into next week.

"Chill out Hermie, I was only joking!" George exclaimed. Hermione reached for her wand again.

"Don't you EVER call me that name again! My name is HERMIONE!" Hermione screeched. George and Fred both looked dumb struck, Ron and Harry were slightly taken aback by the outburst from their friend. 

"Go Hermione!" Astrid cheered.

"Way to tell the dumb boys," Ginny added, with a smug look at her older brothers. 

"Yeah, uh, George, I'd chill. She's already tried to hex you twice," Harry laughed. 

"I'm not scared," George replied.

"Then I'd ask Malfoy what its like to have hairy tentacles growing out of your face," Ron replied.

"You know, now that there are three of us here, you're going to have to specify," Astrid instructed.

"How about this," Harry suggested, "Malfoy for Malfoy, Little Malfoy for Keiran, and Astrid for you?"

"Sounds good," Astrid laughed. 

"Wouldn't littlest Malfoy work too?" A familiar voice asked from somewhere behind Harry's left shoulder. 

"No Drakie, sorry. Littlest Malfoy is Emma and she's not here," Astrid spat.

"Don't you EVER call me that name again. My name is DRACO!" Draco screeched. George and Fred promptly went Ginny style head between the knees under the table to conceal their laughter. Ginny shot pumpkin juice from her nose all over the twin's backs. Hermione turned bright red and Ron tried desperately to remember where he had heard Draco's statement. Only Astrid and Harry remained calm.

"Away Malfoy," Astrid commanded. A "go to hell" stare from Harry accompanied her statement.

"Make me, traitor," Draco spat. Crabbe and Goyle appeared from nowhere on both sides of Malfoy. Keiran stepped around Crabbe and Goyle to stand at Draco's right elbow. He looked equally as evil as his older brother. Hermione and Ron immediately pulled their wands out of their pockets and turned to face Malfoy. Fred and George's wands appeared above the table, even if their heads didn't. Ginny pulled her wand on Malfoy, then realized she probably wouldn't be taken seriously with pumpkin juice dripping out of her nose, so she wiped her face on her robe. Harry and Astrid added their wands to collection. Draco surveyed the seven wands pointed at him and decided that was his cue to leave. He and his posse strolled back towards the Slytherin table. The Gryffindor's pocketed their wands again.

"Astrid, I don't think pulling your wand is a good idea until you know what you're doing," Ron said. He clutched his stomach with both hands. Harry and Hermione knew he was remembering the slug incident from second year. 

"Ron, I'm a Malfoy," came the only reply necessary from Astrid. Several of the friends shuddered visibly at the thought of how many spells and curses the small girl sitting with them probably knew. 

"So why exactly did you not want to be in Slytherin?" Ginny asked.

"That's a long story that has a little to do with Voldey, a little to do with Lucius, and a lot to do with Kieran, my mum, and my sister. It's also best saved for later," Astrid explained.

"Voldey?" Fred and George gasped, looking incredulously at the little girl.

"I wouldn't advise calling him that. I'm the only person on earth who can get away with it," Astrid laughed.

"Why?" Harry asked.

"I could tell you," Astrid began, "but then I'd have to kill you." Harry and Hermione laughed. The Weasleys all looked stonily at Astrid.

"Geeze guys, lighten up. It's a muggle joke," Hermione insisted when she realized that the majority of their number hadn't joined in the laughter.

"All right, goodnight!" Dumbledore said from the staff table. The plates returned to their normally spotless condition and all of the students split up. The next few minutes rushed by in a blur of trying to collect the first years. Ron and Harry had six first year boys to deal with, and they weren't even sure which students were supposed to be theirs. Finally they were on their way up to Gryffindor tower with six small boys, while Hermione walked her five girls along with them.

"Mr. Harry Potter, sir, I have to go to the bathroom!" a small pudgy boy with blonde hair cried. He looked startlingly like Neville.

"We'll be in the common room soon enough. The bathrooms are in there," Harry replied. Ron, Hermione and Astrid all laughed at the moniker the boy had given Harry.

"Are you Neville Longbottom's brother?" Ron asked. Harry glared at him, but Ron didn't know about Neville's parents, so Harry's glare did no good.

"No. I'm Nathan Algernon Longbottom," the little boy replied, trying to look dignified.

"Would Neville call your grandfather uncle Algie?" Hermione guessed.

"Yes, Neville does," the boy replied. Harry and Ron looked at Hermione, clearly puzzled.

"In first year Neville said his Great Uncle Algie dropped him out the window in hopes of making him magic and he bounced all of the way to the end of the street. Algie is a shortened form of Algernon and we can assume that Nathan over there is named after his grandfather," Hermione explained under her breath. 

"Ron, when can I call my parents?" a small boy with brownish blonde hair asked.

Ron looked desperately at Harry. Harry turned to face the student.

"Are you muggle-born?" Harry asked.

"Yes," replied the boy.

"Well, there are no telephones here. However I'll help you send an owl to them sometime tomorrow if that's okay," Harry replied.

"Thanks Mr. Harry Potter, sir," the boy said.

"Okay, my first rule as prefect!" Harry announced. "NO MORE OF THIS MR. HARRY POTTER, SIR STUFF!"

"They sound like a bunch of little Dobbys" Astrid laughed. Ron and Hermione looked at her but then remembered that she was a Malfoy and had known Dobby before Harry got him clothes back in second year. 

"What are all of your names?" Ron asked.

"Nathan Algernon Longbottom," Nathan replied.

"DUH!" Harry exclaimed. All of the first years laughed.

"Astrid Malfoy," Astrid said. All of the other's looked at her like she had just said she was going to make them drink undiluted bubotuber puss.

"Hailey Johnson," Hailey replied.

"Charlie Lawson," said the little muggle-born who had asked to use the phone.

"Evelyn Creevey," Evelyn squeaked.

"Augustus Figg," said Arabella's nephew, "But you can call me Gus."

"Madeline O'Conner," came Madeline's thick Irish accent.

"Sawyer Lewis," said another little boy.

"Jason Black."

"Carson Callahan," said the last boy.

"Karey Finnegan," said the final little girl. 

"Did you say Jason Black?" Harry asked a taller boy with black hair and brown eyes.

"Yes, my name is Jason Black. My grandfather's name is Orion Black. His brother is Sirius Black," Jason explained, looking at the floor. The group of people gathered were more receptive to Jason be related to Sirius than they were to Astrid being a Malfoy, which disturbed the three fifth years quite a bit. Before they had time to really think about it, they reached the portrait of the fat lady.

"LISTEN UP!" Ron called over the heads of the first years.

"The password is Weasleys rule!" Hermione called. Harry turned to glare at Ron so fast he almost fell over.

"Fred and George are in charge of making up the passwords this year. Be prepared for some good ones," came Ron's only explanation. Harry and Hermione rolled their eyes. They must have still looked a little mad when they went through the portrait hole, because George, Fred, and Ginny were all lying in the floor laughing. Their hysterics were only increased when they saw Harry and Hermione.

"Isn't the password great?" Fred gasped. Hermione kicked him lightly in his ribs. 

"First year girls this way!" Hermione called.

"Boy's this way," Ron said. Harry and Ron took the boys up the stairs to the very top to the dorm designated for them. The boys instantly found their trunks at the bottom of their beds.

"All right boys, you have a long day ahead of you tomorrow with classes and all. Your bathroom is right through there." Ron pointed at a door in the corner of the room. Nathan ran for it without waiting to hear the rest of the speech.

"You should probably go ahead and go to bed and get some sleep. We'll be either in the common room or in our dorm if you need anything," Harry finished what Ron had begun to say.

"Goodnight!" Gus Figg called. 

"Night, boys," Ron said. Harry waved at them and the two older boys headed back down to the common room. Hermione was already sitting on one of the couches in front of the fire with the three other Weasleys. Harry flopped down onto a pile of pillows in the floor, and Ron sat in his favorite armchair. Hermione had a very worried look on her face.

"I'm worried about the first year girls," Hermione announced before Harry or Ron could ask her what was wrong.

"What's the problem?" Fred asked.

"Astrid. They had a fight over who was going to sleep next to her," Hermione explained. "they seem very turned off by the idea of a Malfoy."

"THAT'S STUPID!" Ron cried.

"You weren't all that happy about it yourself when it first happened," Ginny reminded him.

"I'm not saying I'm all that happy about it still, but she seems like a nice enough kid. And the fact that she didn't spend her entire childhood with Lucius Malfoy makes me feel a little better about the whole ordeal," Ron admitted.

"And the fact that she didn't call him Draco. She called him either Malfoy or Drakie," Hermione laughed.

"The look on his face was priceless!" Fred and George cried, then they both looked warily at Ginny. She held her hands up to show that they were empty. "No pumpkin juice!"

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Harry asked.

"She should be. She seems like a pretty tough kid. But Karey, Hailey, and Evelyn all have ideas about how Malfoys should be already," Hermione said, "so she may have problems finding friends among her own year." Ginny looked wistfully up at the ceiling.

"She can always hang out with us, but I can't guarantee that will work out because she is just a first year," Fred said.

"And she is still a Malfoy after all," Ron replied. Harry, Hermione and Ginny glared at him but Fred and George didn't seem to pay attention.

"So when are Quidditch trials being held?" Harry asked.

"Don't you guys need to go unpack?" Hermione asked almost as soon as Harry completed his question. She wanted to avoid another conversation about Quidditch at all costs. 

"You're right, we do," Harry said. He jumped up and headed up towards the dorm with Ron on his heels. 

"Thank you Hermione," Ginny laughed as soon as the boys were out of earshot. 

"Did you see Mandy Brocklehurst at the feast?" Ron asked as soon as he and Harry and closed themselves in their dorm room. They walked over to their bed.

"Yeah, I noticed her. She's definitely improved over the summer!"

"Bloody hell, where is my trunk?" Ron cried when he didn't find it at the end of his bed.

"It's in your pocket, remember? Bill shrunk them!" Harry replied. 

"Oh, right," Ron said as he reached for his mini trunk and owl cage and his wand. He quickly muttered the counter spell and the trunk and owl cage returned to their normal size. Harry did the same for his own trunk and both boys began un-packing. 

"Did you see Hannah?" Harry asked as he opened the lid to his trunk. He had actually managed to get his own trunk, as he noticed his underwear stuffed cauldron right off. 

"BLOODY HELL!" Ron cried.

"I thought she looked nice too," Harry said, but Ron didn't hear him. Instead, he tore from the room waving something very small, black and lacy in his hand. Harry followed him closely.

"Hermione Lenore Granger! You've got some explaining to do!" Ron cried before he even reached the bottom of the stairs in the common room. Everyone in the room turned to look at him. Only then did they realize that the thing in Ron's hand was a very small female undergarment made more of strings than of actual fabric. Hermione looked closer at the thong in Ron's hand.

"That's Ginny's," she said automatically. Instantly every boy in the room looked ten times more interested in the conversation. Hermione and Ginny both turned bright red, Hermione because of what she had said and Ginny because of Hermione's correct identification of her undergarment. 

"How would you know?" Ron plowed on with his line of questioning.

"I saw it when she was at my house this summer," Hermione replied. Almost sooner than the words were out of her mouth, she clamped her hands to her mouth and turned a brilliant shade of purple. Ginny turned the exact same color. Several catcalls and whistles issued from the various boys in the room. Ron turned red and looked from his sister to his best female friend. 

"I DIDN'T MEAN IT THAT WAY!" Hermione cried. 

"Sure you didn't!" a random voice from the corner replied. Ron sank to his knees, tossed the thong at his younger sister and ran his fingers through his red hair. "She's with the other Granger. She's with the other Granger. She's with the other Granger," he mumbled like it was some sort of mantra. Ginny ran up to her dorm as fast as her legs would carry her.

"Hermione's with another Granger?" Neville asked quietly.

"NO!" Fred and George roared. Neville turned red and ran up to his dorm.

"Right then!" Harry exclaimed, taking on what he hoped was an authoritative tone, "everyone up to bed!" He flashed his prefect badge around the room and it quickly cleared except for the twins and his two best friends.

"RON!" Hermione cried once everyone had left the room. What she didn't realize is that behind every dorm room door were the occupants of the room with their ears pressed against the wood. Ron looked up at Hermione. 

"I didn't do ANYTHING with your sister! The thong was lying in the floor when I was fixing her hair for her date with Braeden and I saw it."

"Promise?" Ron asked pitifully.

"I promise," Hermione replied. Ron narrowed his eyes at Hermione. "How can I be sure?"

Before anyone could say anything, Hermione leaned over and brushed her lips against Ron's. The twins and Harry looked at each other with very surprised looks on their faces. Almost instantly Ron and Hermione jumped back from each other.

"YUCK! That was like kissing my SISTER!" Ron cried.

"I FEEL LIKE I JUST KISSED MY BROTHER!" Hermione squealed. Both were wiping their lips off furiously. 

"Right, now that THAT'S been resolved, I think we all need to get some sleep!" Harry announced. Everyone agreed whole-heartedly. 


	7. Chapter 7

Just about the only similarity between myself and JKR is that we're both female out first names begin with J. It ends there. Meaning I don't own all of these wonderful characters too.

I'm beginning to think Natalie, my wonderful beta, needs more than just beta credits on this. 

I really do like reviews!

That being said.

*****

_"Thank you for bringing your son here to me," the cold voice pierced the warm summer night. Three black robed figures stood huddled together at the edge of a forest. A large field spread out before them, with a weather-beaten shack off in the distance. The two smaller figures cowered in front of the tallest. The taller figure reached out a long, pale, bony hand and placed in the head of the smallest figure. The hood of the cloak the boy wore fell back revealing a_

"Harry, wake up! Classes start today!" Ron exclaimed, throwing the curtains on Harry's bed back. Harry was instantly bathed in sunlight. 

"Damnit Ron!" Harry cried.

"Touchy," Ron muttered and walked back towards his bed muttering something about how people should be thankful to not be late for the first day of classes. 

"I was having that dream again!" Harry exclaimed.

"The same one you had at Hermione's?" Ron asked. He instantly forgot Harry's expletives from earlier and turned to look at his friend.

"Yeah, the same one. And SOMEONE" Harry flashed a pointed look in Ron's direction "woke me up at the exact same point!"

"Did you see the kid?" Ron asked.

"Did I see the kid last time?" Harry spat.

"No," Ron replied dumbly. Harry ran his knuckles across his tingly scar and grabbed his glasses with his other hand.

"Well, as you woke me up at the exact same point in the dream, the cloak hood was falling but it hadn't fallen enough for me to see anything else," Harry said. He rubbed his glasses on the blanket on his bed and then put them on his face. 

"Sorry," Ron mumbled. He bent over and tied his shoe. 

"At any rate, where are everyone else?" Harry asked. He had just noticed how empty his dorm was.

"Dean and Seamus went running this morning and I think Neville is already at breakfast," Ron replied. He polished his prefect badge then pinned it on his robe. Harry finally decided to roll out of bed. "Is your scar itchy again?"

"Not itchy really, just tingly," Harry replied. He rubbed his forehead again and stepped into a pair of khakis. He pulled on a white button down shirt and his Gryffindor tie before slipping into his robe. He pinned his prefect badge to his chest and slipped his feet into plain black shoes. 

"You're a sexy beast!" the mirror Ron was looking into said to Ron. Harry turned to look at him. Ron shot Harry a "told you so" look. Harry ran his fingers through his hair.

"Ready to go?" he asked his friend.

"You're not going to brush your hair?" Ron queried.

"Why? To make it lay down?" Harry replied. Ron rolled his eyes and started towards the door. Harry beat him through the door and down to the common room. Ginny, Hermione and Astrid were sitting around waiting for the boys.

"His mirror really does call him a sexy beast!" Harry cried when he saw Hermione and Ginny.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER! YOU'RE DEAD!" Ron cried. He leaped from about the fourth step from the bottom and landed on Harry knocking them both to the floor. 

"Geroff me!" Harry cried from somewhere under Ron. 

"Boys! You're prefects!" Hermione exclaimed, stamping her foot and looking down at the boys indignantly. Ginny and Astrid just laughed at them.

"That surely didn't stop you with Ginny's knickers last night!" Ron mumbled as he punched Harry jokingly in his sides. 

"If you want to call those knickers," Harry added. Ginny's laugher slowly subsided and she glared icily at the boys from behind the mask of red that had taken over her face. Astrid looked kind of bewildered by the whole situation. Suddenly Ron jumped to his feet like nothing had happened. Harry glared at him from his position on the floor. He adjusted his glasses from where they had been skewed in the play fight.

"Ready for breakfast girls?" Ron asked.

"You're going to leave poor Harry lying there on the floor?" Astrid questioned.

"Oh, you're right Astrid," Ron said. He turned around and picked Harry completely up. He returned his friend to a standing position. 

"Better?" He asked Astrid. She nodded. He offered her his arm. She took it and they headed off through the portrait hole.

"What has gotten into him?" Hermione wondered aloud as she, Ginny and Harry watched the 6'3" red headed boy and the 4'11" blonde girl disappear arm in arm through the portrait hole.

"I think he's finally started to grow up, just a little," Harry laughed. Ginny and Hermione both looked at him.

"It's about time," Hermione said.

"Not really," Harry mumbled. Rather than explaining himself, he just headed out of the portrait after Ron and Astrid. 

%%%%%

"Abigail Astrid Malfoy! What the hell are you doing touching a Weasley?" a familiar voice issued from the steps leading down to the dungeon. Ron and Astrid, with their arms still linked had just taken the last step into the Entrance Hall. 

"I personally don't think it's any of your business, Malfoy," Astrid said airily. She looked down her nose at Draco as well as she could, considering she had to look up to see him. She left her hand on Ron's arm.

"Couldn't get the mudblood eh Weasley? Had to go after my baby sister instead?" Draco decided to attack Ron, as he couldn't get Astrid's temper to flare.

"I'm NOT the baby!" Astrid said, still glaring stonily at her older brother. Draco laughed ruthlessly.

"No, we all know what we happened to her," another voice that sounded like a pre-puberty Draco said. Keiran stepped out from behind his older brother to glare at his twin. Astrid's gaze softened and tears threatened to pour down her face. 

"That was ridiculously low," Ron said to no one in particular. He didn't want to seem like he was fighting with Keiran Malfoy. 

"Ron, what's going on?" Harry appeared on the steps behind Ron with Hermione and Ginny a few feet behind him.

"Well look, if it isn't the mudblood, the weaslette, and the boy who killed Cedric Diggory to save his own arse," Malfoy spat at the sight of Ron's three friends. Hermione and Ginny both ran down to Harry. Ron spun around to see if his friends were okay. Only Astrid had the presence of mind to pull her wand.

"Malfoy, Malfoy, Malfoy, Weasley, Weasley, Granger and Potter!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed as she strode purposefully out of the Great Hall to where the teenagers and Malfoy twins were standing. 

"WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!" came Fred and George's voices from inside the Great Hall. McGonagall walked back over and stuck her head back through the door. "Other two Weasleys," she assured them. She turned back to look at the seven teenagers in the entrance hall. She noted that only Astrid had her wand pulled, and Hermione, Ginny and Ron looked more concerned with Harry than with any of the Malfoy siblings. Harry looked like he was going to be sick. He was pale and had both hands clutched to his stomach. "What's going on here?"

"Oh nothing professor, I was just showing my sister a spell to ward off unwanted advances from boys," Draco lied. McGonagall raised an eyebrow at him. 

"You have experience with those?" Ron asked. Ginny, Hermione and Astrid all three smirked at Malfoy, but no one dared laugh. Harry sank backwards onto the step. 

"Miss Granger, what happened here?"

"I just came down the stairs a moment ago. The only thing I actually heard was Malfoy calling me a mudblood, Ginny a weaslette, and then make a particularly rotten comment about Harry involving Cedric," Hermione said truthfully. 

"Malfoy, you're a prefect, as are you Mr. Weasley!" McGonagall exclaimed. "For once, I think Mr. Potter and Miss Granger just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time," McGonagall said. "I heard most of what happened from in the Great Hall, so I'm taking 50 points from Slytherin and giving both of you detention for unprovoked comments towards fellow students." McGonagall said. Draco opened his mouth to protest. "If you say a word, Mr. Malfoy, it will be 50 points per male Malfoy." Draco's mouth closed as quickly as it had fallen open. McGonagall continued doling out punishments. "Fifteen points from Gryffindor, Mr. Weasley, for that unprovoked comment about Mr. Malfoy's sexuality." She turned her back to the male Malfoys as she said this, and gave Ron a slight tight-lipped smile that almost said she agreed with what he had said. "And Miss Malfoy, 15 points from Gryffindor and a detention for you for pulling your wand on your brother." With that, she turned and headed back into the Great Hall.

"Stupid Mudblood," Draco muttered when he thought McGonagall was out of earshot.

"I heard that Mr. Malfoy! Another detention and 50 more points from Slytherin!" McGonagall called. Draco and Keiran glared at the five people still left in the Entrance Hall and headed in to breakfast.

"I've got detention before I've even had a class!" Astrid muttered, shaking her head like she couldn't believe herself.

"I think you may have just broken one of Fred and George's records!" Ron said, laughing at the little girl. Astrid's eyes widened. "Really?"

"You should go ask them," Ginny suggested. Astrid turned on her heel and ran into the Great Hall in search of Hogwarts' two eldest Weasleys. 

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked as soon as Astrid was in the Great Hall. All three friends turned to look at Harry.

"Suddenly, I have no appetite," He mumbled. Before anyone could say anything else, he sprang up and ran back up the stairs. Ginny made a motion to chase him, but Hermione caught her by her elbow.

"Let him be," Ron instructed. The three of them slowly turned and made their way into the great hall. 

"Ron?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah?" Ron replied.

"Don't you and Harry hold the particular detention record that Astrid just thought she broke?" Hermione asked. Ron turned to look at his friend. "Yes, as a matter of fact we do. We got our earliest detention during the Welcome Feast in second year." All three of them laughed at the memory, so were in slightly better moods when they took their seats at the table with Astrid, the twins and Lee Jordan at the end of the table.

"Ron, we've got a little prankster on our hands!" Fred said as Hermione, Ron and Ginny were sitting down.

"Really?" Ron asked, smiling at Astrid.

"Astrid officially holds the record for the earliest detention," George said. Ginny, Ron, and Hermione all three shook their heads.

"She doesn't?" Lee asked.

"But you said I broke the twins record!" Astrid said.

"And she did! We didn't get our first detention until AFTER breakfast on our first day," George said.

"But Harry and I had them for the car incident in second year," Ron said, smiling.

"Oh yeah!" Fred exclaimed. He smiled evilly. 

"Timetables!" Alicia announced. She walked up behind Ron and handed the group of friends each a piece of parchment. She handed Hermione one for Harry also. Her presence canceled the rest of whatever Fred was going to say as they all began reviewing their schedules.

%%%%%

Harry dashed into the first room he got to on the second floor. Luckily enough for him, it was a bathroom as he thought he was going to be sick. He closed himself in the first stall and proceeded to up a mouthful of stomach acid into the toilet. He repeated his action twice more before feeling any better. 

"Hey! Watch it!" A misty voice cried from somewhere in the toilet. The pigtailed bespectacled face of a girl appeared in the hole at the bottom of the toilet. Harry groaned and fell against the wall of the stall. 

"Oh it's you," Myrtle said sweetly. She came completely up out of the toilet and floated a few inches above the seat. "If any one else had thrown up stomach acid on me, I would have had to flood the place!"

"Sorry Myrtle," Harry mumbled weakly. 

"Why don't you come visit me anymore?"

"It's a girls bathroom," Harry replied.

"That's not stopping you now is it?" Myrtle asked. 

"I'm sick," Harry replied.

"Sshhh, someone's coming!" Myrtle hissed. Harry felt too weak to get up off of the floor, so he hoped whoever walked in wouldn't notice him. 

"I wonder where he was today at breakfast!" a girl's voice said as the bathroom door squeaked open.

"I wonder if it has anything to do with the way McGonagall ran out at the very beginning," another voice said. Harry saw two pairs of legs walk over to the sink area. 

"Its very unlike him to miss breakfast, especially since Ron and Hermione were both there," said the first voice. Only then did Harry realize he was the topic of the girls' conversation.

"You know, this just might be the year I make my move," the second voice said.

"Oh please."

"You never know! I may get paired with him in Herbology!" 

"And you'd sit there and stutter and turn red every time he looks at you," chided the first girl. The thought that a Hufflepuff had a crush on him was enough to almost fully clear his mind of Malfoy's below the belt comment about Cedric. 

"What about that best friend of his?"

"Ron? He's SO HOT!" squealed the first girl. Harry reached over and flushed the toilet. He could just imagine the surprised looks on the two girls faces. 

"There's someone in here!" the first girl squealed. In a clattering of shoes on stone floor, a snapping of bags, and a swish of robes, they were out of the bathroom. Harry slowly got to his feet and unlocked the door of the stall.

"See you later Myrtle," He said. She didn't reply. She was busy flushing toilets, turning on sinks, and muttering something about revenge. Harry let himself out of the bathroom and decided it was about time for breakfast. He started down towards the Great Hall but met Ron and Hermione on the steps just outside.

"Alright Harry?' Ron asked. He held out a couple of pieces of toast to Harry. Harry accepted them but didn't eat.

"No," he replied honestly.

"Harry James Potter, don't let what that git said get to you!" Hermione scolded. Harry looked down at his feet. Hermione slipped her arm around his waist and pulled him close to her in a sort of hug. 

"How can I not?" he asked. Before anyone could say anything else, students started trickling out of the Great Hall. Hermione let go of Harry and handed him his class schedule.

"We have Defense Against the Dark Arts first!" Ron exclaimed as the three friends turned on the steps and started towards the defense classroom. 

"That's a first!" Harry laughed half-heartedly. 

"At least we don't have to put up with the Slytherins," Hermione cheered happily. Harry glared at her.

"So has any one solved the mystery of the defense teacher yet?" Ron asked to cease the tension between Harry and Hermione. 

"I have a theory as to who it is, but I'd rather not say," Hermione said.

"Oh come on, Hermione, you can tell us," Ron insisted.

"Yeah, Hermione," Harry added. "I think it's probably either the real Mad Eye Moody or maybe Lupin's back."

"What if Sirius got cleared and he's our new professor!" Ron exclaimed.

"Good idea, but I think I would know if my own god-father got cleared of his murder charges," Harry said.

"Come on you two think about it. They didn't introduce anyone at the ceremony last night," Hermione prompted.

"Would that mean that the new teacher is already on staff?" Ron asked. Hermione nodded in the affirmative. Ron and Harry exchanged terrified looks. "SNAPE!"

"Quite the contrary, Potter and Weasley," a greasy voice behind them said. They all three turned to look at their least favorite professor. "I don't know where the rumors that I want the Defense Job got started, because I'm perfectly happy in potions." Before they could reply, he stepped around them and continued down the hall.

"Snape? Happy?" Ron asked.

"Novel idea, isn't it?" Hermione laughed. Ron and Harry both looked at her. Hermione never criticized a professor other than Trelawney. 

The three friends were among the last Gryffindors to appear in the Defense classroom. 

"Maybe Lockhart is back!" Ron said when he walked in, as the new teacher hadn't appeared yet.

"Is the room wall papered with his horrid picture?" Harry asked. Ron looked around him as he took his seat behind Hermione. "No, I guess you're right."

"I heard its Lupin," Lavender said from behind Harry.

"I heard it's the real Moody," Parvati said.

"Well I heard its Arabella Figg," Seamus stated.

"Close, but no cigar," said a familiar voice from the front of the room. The voice, however, didn't have a body. Harry, Ron and Hermione all looked at each other startled.

"You all CAN hear that, can't you?" Harry asked. After second year with the Basilisk in the pipes, he didn't want to take any chances.

"Yes," came Ron's forced whisper.

"Okay professor Dumbledore, you can show yourself," Hermione said smugly. Her smile said that she had figured out the mystery of the defense teacher.

"Well done Miss Granger," said the old headmaster as his form slowly appeared at the front of the room. 

"How did you do that?" Seamus asked, rather loudly. His mouth hung open as he stared at Dumbledore. 

"It's magic, Seamus!" Dumbledore exclaimed. He looked at Seamus as though Seamus was five years old. The entire class cracked up at Dumbledore. 

"Will we be learning to go invisible in this class?" Neville asked.

"Some of you have already mastered that skill by one method or another," Dumbledore said with a pointed look in Harry, Ron and Hermione's direction. The three friends laughed under their breaths. "But no, that is a bit too advanced for even the top students in the seventh year class."

"Too bad," Seamus remarked, "That would be quite a useful skill."

"I think the school governors would think me even more mad if I taught my students to be invisible. Imagine the problems it would cause," Dumbledore continued. Harry, Ron and Hermione all laughed nervously. No one else did. Dumbledore smiled benevolently at them. 

"So why are you our Defense teacher?" Parvati asked. If Dumbledore noticed the bluntness of her comments, he pretended not to notice.

"I was afraid I was getting out of touch with the students, so I decided to take on the teaching job as well as my head master duties," Dumbledore explained.

"There weren't any suitable candidates were there?" Hermione queried.

"Sadly, Miss Granger, no. We, as a community are approaching dark times. I would trust few wizards with what could be the most important classes in your magical careers," Dumbledore said. The class got silent and a few members exchanged nervous glances. "With that being said," Dumbledore clapped his hands and smiled down at his students, "we're going on a scavenger hunt!" Parvati and Lavender exchanged incredulous glances. Seamus and Dean looked excited. Neville looked a little confused. Harry and Hermione smiled to themselves. 

"A WHAT?" The ever-vocal Ron asked. 

"A scavenger hunt, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore replied, "It's a form of entertainment favored by muggle children where they are given a list of objects to find and they must find as many of the objects as they can in a certain amount of time," Looks of understanding crossed Ron's and Neville's faces. 

"Cool!" Ron exclaimed.

"I'm glad you approve Mr. Weasley. Now I'm going to split you into groups and you will have the next hour and a half to find all of the objects on the list," Dumbledore said. "You may use magic to obtain assistance in getting the objects, but you cannot produce the objects from magic. And you cannot summon the objects either, however you can summon aides to getting the object." With this, he flashed a pointed look at Harry. "Some of the objects will be very easy to find and some will be much more difficult. How would you like the groups to be split?" Hermione, Ron and Harry instantly moved closer together. Dean and Seamus moved closer and Neville edged his way towards them. Lavender and Parvati smiled broadly at each other.

"I see you've made my job easier, but Miss Brown and Miss Patil, you're at a distinct disadvantage," Dumbledore said.

"No, we're not," Parvati said.

"We're girls. We shop. Finding things is no problem," Lavender assured the headmaster. Dumbledore smiled at them. He pulled three pieces of parchment from a stack on his desk. He handed one to Hermione, one to Neville and one to Lavender. Hermione surveyed the list before her. A smile broke across her face.

"Go!" Dumbledore exclaimed. Neville, Dean, and Seamus instantly darted from the room. Lavender and Parvati left a little slower. Harry and Ron hurried towards the door.

"Whoa boys, game plan here!" Hermione exclaimed at their retreating backs. They stopped dead in their tracks and turned to face their friend.

"What all do we need to find?" Harry asked. Hermione handed the paper to him and he and Ron looked at it.

Sneakoscope

Spork

Holyhead Harpies Hat

Page 5032 of _Hogwarts; a History_

Gillyweed

A Picture of Rowena Ravenclaw

Biro

The Daily Prophet

Recipe from Witch Weekly

Beater bat

Scarf from another house

Tea cozy

Branch from the Whomping Willow

Nail polish

Skelegrow

Cauldron scrub brush

Air from the Divination classroom

C.D.

Romeo and Juliet

_Moste Potente Potions_

Extra

Phoenix Feather

"Oh my goodness this is ridiculous!" Ron exclaimed. His face was red and his hands were clenched into fists.

"It's really not that bad," Hermione reasoned.

"How do you figure?" Ron asked, looking at his friend like she was crazy.

"Well, lets first go through and see which of these we have in our possession. We can get those and then split up the remaining items and figure out ways to get them," Hermione suggested.

"Hermione's right," Harry said. He finally looked up from the list. "I have a sneakoscope, a Daily Prophet, a biro, and a beater bat. The branch won't be difficult to get, and we can always get the tea cozy from Dobby."

"Right, and I have Moste Potente Potions and Hogwarts a History," Hermione offered, "and we can get Romeo and Juliet from the library."

"A Holyhead Harpies hat?" Harry asked, looking over the list again.

"My sister is a fan. She's got a free period right now, I'll find her and get her hat," Ron replied. 

"Get Colin Creevey's camera too," Hermione instructed Ron. 

"Why?" Ron asked.

"I have a theory on the Ravenclaw picture and we'll need Colin's camera," Hermione replied. 

"A lot of this stuff comes from the kitchen." Harry said. He was still looking over the list.

"We need the cloak too," Hermione added as an afterthought.

"Gryffindor tower?" Ron asked. Hermione jumped to her feet and they started towards their tower. Harry followed at a bit of a slower pace as he was still scouring the list. 

When they arrived at Gryffindor tower a moment later, they found the other two teams already inside. Hermione instantly ran up to her dorm and returned a few moments later with her books. Ron went up to the boys' dorm and searched around for the items Harry was supposed to have. Harry took a seat next to the fireplace and listened to the other two teams closely. 

"Parvati! That tree is horrid! I AM NOT going near it!" Lavender shrieked.

"Come on Lav. All you have to do is grab a branch!" Parvati coaxed.

"It'll kill me!"

"No. It will probably just maim you. And then you'll have to go to Madame Pomfrey to get the Skelegrow!" Parvati reasoned. 

"Parvati, you're insane!" Lavender squealed. Harry laughed to himself and turned to listen to the boy's team.

"Well. I think I know where to get the Gillyweed," Neville offered.

"What about the blasted tree?" Seamus asked.

"I can't handle that," Neville said.

"Why not, you're the bloody Herbology genius!" Dean cried.

"Yeah. But that tree is the Blast-Ended Skrewt of the Herbology world," Neville spat. A great idea struck Harry and he stood, turned, and faced the groups.

"Hey guys!" he called. All five of them were quiet and looked at him.

"I've got an idea that could solve the problems we're all having," Harry said. Lavender and Parvati rolled their eyes. They weren't impressed with the Boy Who Lived's take-charge attitude. Dean and Seamus looked interested. Neville was a bit wary. After the full body-bind courtesy of Hermione in first year, he questioned any plans formed by any of the three friends. 

"Neville, can you get Gillyweed for all three groups?" Harry asked. Neville nodded slightly. Harry turned and looked at the girls. He flashed them a huge smile. "Girls?"

"What?" Lavender asked.

"Nail Polish?" Harry said, as more of a question than a statement.

"What shade?" Parvati asked deviously. Harry surveyed his chewed nails.

"I'm partial to crimson and gold," He lisped. Lavender and Parvati cracked up and the three boys looked at him like he was a lunatic. He glared at them. "KIDDING!" he cried. They all then laughed.

"What are you providing?" Seamus asked.

"We'll tackle the tree," Harry replied. Five jaws dropped showing Harry five sets of teeth. 

"So you'll also be getting us the Skelegrow?" Seamus asked, as he was the first to regain his voice. Harry laughed nervously. "I hope not. You'll have to manage that one on your own."

"Sounds fair," Lavender said. Parvati nodded in agreement. The three boys took a quick survey and decided they were in as well. With that plan made, the other two groups exited the common room just as Hermione and Ron came down from their respective dorms. 

"What was that about?" Ron asked.

"I got us nail polish and Gillyweed," Harry replied with a sly smile.

"Did you make deals with the other groups?" Hermione asked. Her arms were full of large books. 

"Sure did!" Harry said with a smile. Hermione and smiled too. 

"So what do we have to do?" Ron asked.

"The Whomping Willow," Harry replied. Ron's face reddened. 

"NOT THAT WAY!" Hermione shrieked when she realized what Ron's blush insinuated. Ron smiled mischievously. 

"Why did you pick that?" Ron asked.

"Because the passage under it is protected only by the tree. If everyone and their mother knows how to control the tree, there is suddenly an entrance for people we may not want on the grounds," Harry explained. Hermione and Ron both smiled at him.

"Good thinking Harry," Hermione said.

"So what all do we have already?" Harry asked.

"I've got _Hogwarts; a History_ and _Moste Potente Potions_," Hermione said. "Plus I got Ginny's Harpies hat, my Alanis Morrisette CD, and the copy of "Witch Weekly" I kept from the Skeeter mess last year."

"I've got the sneakoscope, a beater bat, the newspaper, and a biro," Ron said, "And Colin's camera and the cloak." 

"So lets go to the kitchen. Dobby will be more than happy to lend us his tea cozy and a spork," Harry said.

"Good thinking," Hermione said. Ron had already headed out of the portrait hole. Hermione had thought to bring down a magically enlarged book bag. She put all of the things they had gathered so far in it and slung it over her back before she and Harry headed after Ron. They walked in silence so as not to disturb the classes that were going on.

When they reached the kitchen, Ron tickled the pear. The three friends entered the room where the house elves were busy preparing lunch.

"Mr. Harry Potter Sir!" Dobby cried. He appeared in front of Harry. He was wearing the same clothes as last time, only with a pink and orange plaid sock on one foot and a red and purple sock on the other foot. He had on the Weasley sweater, shrunk to fit his minute frame and his necktie tie hung down over it.

"Hi Dobby," Harry said.

"How is Harry Potter?" Dobby asked.

"I'm doing fine Dobby," Harry replied. 

"And Miss Hermione and Wheezy!" Dobby squealed.

"Hello Dobby," Hermione said.

"What can Dobby get for Harry Potter today?" 

"Actually, Dobby, can we have a spork, a cauldron scrub brush, and your hat?" Ron asked.

"Why is you needing my hat?" Dobby asked.

"For an assignment for Dumbledore. We'll bring it back," Hermione said quickly. Dobby disappeared for a moment and then reappeared with the requested items.

A spork, a tea cozy, a scrub brush, four éclairs, three cups of pumpkin juice, and a banana jelly and cheese sandwich later, the three friends made their way out to take on the Whomping Willow. 

"How should we do this?" Hermione asked as the three friends approached the tree in question.

"Use a long stick to touch the knot then remove the branches," Harry suggested. 

"What if it gets mad if we break its branches?" Ron asked.

"Ask it first," suggested Hermione. 

"Excuse me Mr. Tree, I would like to break off a few of your fingers if that's okay with you," Ron said in a little girls voice, "Yes, I'm sure that will go over quite well." He glared pointedly at Hermione.

"I think it's a girl tree," Hermione replied, "you might offend it by calling it mister."

"You're right. Nothing male could be that moody and temperamental," Ron cracked.

"Nothing male would have that much of a desire to protect itself from the weaker gender," Hermione replied. 

"Are you calling us weak, Granger?" Ron asked.

"That, I am, Weasley!" Hermione replied.

"Guys! Calm down!" Harry exclaimed. They were getting a little closer to the psychotic tree. "So how are we going to go about this?"

"Ron can press the knot and I'll talk to the tree and get some of her branches," Hermione replied simply.

"Like the tree is really a girl," Ron said. Before he could say anything else, he was swept off of his feet by a mighty swing from one of the tree's branches.

"I think you offended her," Harry laughed. He grabbed a stick and ran up close enough to press the knot to freeze the tree. As soon as the branches had stopped moving, Hermione got closer to the tree too. Ron was lying in a heap on the ground, some 10 meters away, clutching his stomach where the tree had hit him.

"Miss Willow Tree," Hermione began. Her voice shook audibly. "We are doing a project for Professor Dumbledore up at the school. We were wondering if you couldn't give us three of your branches. That is, if you've got three small ones to spare." The tree didn't move. She couldn't, as Harry still had the knot pressed, but three small branches floated down from somewhere near the top of her. 

"Thank you Miss Willow!" Harry said. Hermione ran over and collected the branches when they hit the ground. Then she went over to Ron and Harry moved the stick from the knot and ran for his life. Surprisingly, the tree didn't swing at him. 

"Hermione, I hate to say it, but you were right," Ron said. He was still clutching his stomach. Hermione added the branches to the collection in her bag and smiled smugly at her friend. 

"What all do we have left?" Harry asked, preventing an imminent war between Ron and Hermione.

"A scarf from another house," Ron said, looking at the list.

"The Marauder's Map would come in handy right now," Harry said. He thought back to the incident in the bathroom earlier this morning. He knew if he could find the Hufflepuff fifth year girls, he would be able to get a scarf from one of them. And he knew he could recognize her shoes if he saw them.

"Summon it," Hermione said simply. Harry turned to Hermione and placed both hands on her shoulders.

"You're a GENIUS Hermione Granger!" He cried, shaking her vigorously.

"I'm going to be a genius with a brain injury if you shake me any more!" She exclaimed, "and then what good would I be?" Ron laughed, but Harry had already torn into the entrance hall of the school.

"_Accio Marauders Map!"_ he cried. The three friends stood and looked at each other, wondering if it had worked. After two minutes had passed, no map had appeared.

"I don't think it worked," Harry said. He looked a bit dejected.

"How could it not have? You summoned a broom from Gryffindor tower to the bloody Quidditch pitch!" Ron cried.

"Maybe the map isn't anywhere near," Hermione suggested.

"Hermione's probably right," Harry said. Ron simply screamed and dived into a suit of armor in the corner. Hermione and Harry spun around to face the steps just in time to see Filch's desk barreling straight towards them. Hermione dived after Ron and Harry simply ducked. The desk skidded to a halt right in front of them.

"I think it worked," Hermione said meekly. She peeked over Ron's shoulder at Harry and the flying desk.

"I think that's an understatement," Ron laughed. Harry pointed his wand at the desk, unlocked it and removed the map from the desk drawer. A bright smile cracked over his face.

"MEROW!" a mangy cat let out a shriek from the corner. She glared at the three friends through her beady red eyes. 

"Bloody sodding ruddy--!" Ron began. Before he could spew any more expletives, Hermione calmly reached over and clamped her hand over his mouth. 

"RUN!" Harry cried. He tore out of the hall and up the stairs. Hermione and Ron followed close on his heels. 

"Stop Running!" Hermione cried. She had fallen severely behind as she wasn't as tall as the boys. They both skidded to stops and turned to look at her.

"Act innocent!" she gasped. 

"Right," Harry said. He shoved the map in his pocket and began walking. Hermione quickly caught up with the boys.

"To the library," she said, "for _Romeo and Juliet_." Harry pulled open the doors of the library and led them back to Madame Pince.

"Madame Pince, we need to borrow a copy of _Romeo and Juliet_," Hermione said. Her breathing had finally returned to a normal rate after their physical exertion.

"I'm sorry. That Ravenclaw Patil was just took my last copy," Madame Pince replied, looking down at her nose at the three Gryffindors.

"Oh no!" Hermione replied. She pulled the boys back towards the entrance.

"Is that a problem? Can't we just ask Padma?" Harry asked.

"It wasn't Padma," Hermione spat, "Parvati and Lavender can't check out books since they spilled nail polish on one very rare one back in third year. I'm willing to bet that was Parvati in Padma's scarf," Hermione replied. Faintly from the entrance Hall, they heard Filch threatening dismemberment, castration, and other general bodily harm if he ever caught the terrors responsible for his desk. Hermione gulped and looked at the boys.

"So what do we do? She got the last copy!" Ron cried.

"We think about it while we're on the way to get the air from Trelawney's room," Harry replied. Hermione pulled a scrap of parchment from her pocket and transfigured it into a jar to hold the air. The friends walked in relative silence, all thinking about the _Romeo and Juliet_ problem. 

"I'm not going up there!" Hermione insisted when they finally reached Trelawney's ladder.

"I don't want to either!" Harry said.

"NO FAIR!" Ron cried.

"She hates me, and she's convinced he's going to die. You're the only logical choice," Hermione pointed out. Ron took the jar from her and headed up the stepladder, glaring at his friends as he went.

"You two owe me!" He exclaimed. He returned a few moments later with a jar full of sparkly pink air.

"She wasn't up there," He said as he handed the jar back to Hermione to put into the backpack.

"So we stayed down here for nothing," Harry laughed.

"We've still got to get a picture of Rowena Ravenclaw, a scarf, Skelegrow and _Romeo and Juliet_!" Hermione cried. "And we've only got 30 minutes!"

"Don't panic. Any ideas about the picture?" Harry asked.

"Yes. I know exactly how to take care of that. There is only one known picture of Rowena Ravenclaw because she had issues with most artists and only sat for one portrait. I'm going to take a picture of the portrait with Colin's camera covered by the invisibility cloak," Hermione said.

"So what do we do?" Harry asked.

"Weasel some Skelegrow and meet me back at the library in 15 minutes," Hermione instructed. She turned on her heel and left before Ron could complain about the pun. Harry pulled the map out of his pocket. 

"The fifth year Hufflepuffs are coming this way!" he cried. He took off in their direction with Ron close on his heels. 

"Why are the fifth year Hufflepuffs so important?" Ron asked. His question fell on deaf ears, as Harry had turned the corner and ran right into the middle of a group of Hufflepuffs. He instantly began looking at the feet of every girl in the group. He finally found the pair of shoes he was searching for and looked up at their owner. He found himself staring into the eyes of one Hannah Abbott. She had grown over the summer, and when she grew, she got skinnier. Her blonde pigtails had been abandoned in favor of short blonde layers. She had also disposed of her glasses so her blue eyes sparkled brightly. 

"Hannah!" Harry mumbled, staring instantly back at her shoes.

"Hi Harry!" She said.

"CanIborrowyourscarf?" Harry asked. He instantly remembered asking Cho to the ball in quite the same fashion.

"I'm sorry, what was that Harry?" Hannah asked.

"May I please borrow your scarf?" Harry replied more slowly. 

"Why?" Hannah asked.

"A project for Dumbledore," Harry replied.

"Only if you give me collateral," Hannah replied sweetly. 

"What do you want?" Harry asked.

"Why don't we just change scarves?" Hannah replied.

"Sounds good," Harry replied.

"_Accio scarf!_" Hannah and Harry cried at the same time. A minute later, Harry caught his scarf. About thirty seconds after that, Hannah caught hers. She handed it to Harry and took his scarf from his out stretched hand. 

"Thanks Hannah!" he cried and headed off down the hall.

"We'll trade back later," she called at his retreating form. He waved over his shoulder. Ron jogged off to catch up with him.

"Man, how did you know to do that?" Ron asked once they were out of earshot of the Hufflepuffs.

"I overheard a conversation because I accidentally went in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom earlier," Harry replied. 

"And Hannah Abbott fancies you!" Ron exclaimed.

"Ah, something to that effect," Harry said rather nonchalantly. 

"Harry man! That's great!" Ron cried.

"How are we going to get Skelegrow?" Harry asked, obviously changing the subject.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean we've got to come up with Skelegrow in the next 10 minutes," Harry said.

"I have no clue," Ron admitted.

"How about you let me break your finger and then go get Skelegrow from Madame Pomfrey," Harry suggested, only half jokingly.

"Won't I have to take the Skelegrow?" Ron asked.

"No. You'll pretend to take it, claim your finger feels better and that you simply must get back to class, and then we'll just have to let your finger heal on its own. The Muggle way," Harry replied.

"You must be daft!" Ron cried.

"Do you have a better plan?" Harry asked.

"YES!" insisted Ron.

"That doesn't involve the words 'break your own bloody finger'," Harry amended.

"Okay then, no," Ron replied. He looked down at the list. "There has got to be a way around this."

"We could go second year style and one of us can cause a diversion while the other sneaks in and steals the Skelegrow," Harry suggested.

"That might be a little obvious and Hermione has the invisibility cloak," Ron replied.

"We didn't use the invisibility cloak in second year," Harry pointed out.

"How about we charm your finger to look boneless. You go in and ask for the Skelegrow, then end the charm on your finger, claim its better, and leave with the Skelegrow in your pocket," Ron suggested.

"Ron, that's bloody brilliant!" Harry cried. He jumped around in front of Ron.

"You really don't need to shake me!" Ron exclaimed, throwing his hands up to stop Harry from grabbing his shoulders. 

"Right," Harry muttered. He turned away from his friend and quickly placed a charm on his left pointer finger to make it appear and feel boneless. Ron smiled at his friend's handiwork as he pulled open the door of the Hospital Wing to allow Harry to pass through. 

"It's you!" Madam Pomfrey said when she saw Harry. She sounded a little less than enthusiastic about his appearance. 

"Hello to you, too," Harry laughed.

"Can't you stay out of here? It's only the first day of classes!" Madam Pomfrey exclaimed.

"I need some Skelegrow. A bit of a mishap in class made me loose the bones in my finger," Harry said, ignoring the matron's admonitions. He held up his limp finger for her to inspect.

"Right then," Madam Pomfrey said. She directed him to a bed and returned a moment later with a bottle of Skelegrow. She poured a small cup and handed it to Harry. He paused for a moment to give her time to leave before he hid the cup, but she seemed intent on watching him drink the potion. He smiled at her to encourage her to leave. She crossed her arms across her chest and tapped her foot impatiently at him. He finally tilted his head back and poured the foul potion into his mouth. He pretended to swallow and smiled at her broadly with closed lips. She reached over and affectionately ruffled his hair.

"I'll be back in a moment. I need to go document this," Madame Pomfrey said. Harry nodded vigorously. The potion was possibly the most retched thing he had ever been asked to hold in his mouth. Not that he necessarily made a habit of holding random liquids in his mouth. Madam Pomfrey made her way slowly back into her office. Harry waited until she closed the door before he sprang to his feet and tore out of the hospital wing. 

"Did you get it?" Ron asked excitedly. Harry's tongue was starting to go numb. He nodded vigorously and motioned for Ron to conjure some sort of container for him to spit the liquid into. Ron didn't notice Harry's plight but instead lead the way to Hermione at the library. Harry vainly tried to get Ron's attention, as he couldn't conjure the container himself because his mouth was full to the point he couldn't speak. As Ron was taller, he stayed a few steps in front of Harry the entire walk to the library. Harry didn't want to try to tackle Ron for fear of accidentally swallowing the mouthful of potion, and he couldn't catch up with Ron.

"Boys!" Hermione cried when they got to the library.

"Hey Hermione, did you get the picture?" Ron asked.

"Yes," she waved a still-drying photograph at him.

"Cool!" Ron exclaimed. He looked at a very angry looking Rowena Ravenclaw.

"And I developed it the Muggle way so she's not going anywhere!" Hermione cried gleefully, "I don't think she's very happy with me."

"What about Romeo and Juliet?" Ron asked.

"I have that too," Hermione said. She slipped the photograph into her bag. Ron handed her the scarf to put in the bag also. Harry tried to get Hermione's attention to get a container for the potion. She didn't notice him either. 

"What about the potion?" Hermione asked.

"Harry has that," Ron replied. Harry waved furiously at them and pointed to his mouth.

"Yes, Harry the potion tastes bad," Hermione said before turning towards the Defense classroom. 

"Did you get the things from the other two groups?" Ron asked Hermione as they walked.

"Yes, and I gave them their Willow branches," Hermione replied. She turned into the classroom. Ron followed, and Harry joined them. He had finally quit trying to get their attention and resigned himself to the fact that he would hold the Skelegrow in his mouth until Dumbledore asked for it. He took his seat next to his two friends. 

"Alright class, now that Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, and Mr. Potter have decided to grace us with their presence, we shall go over the purpose of this exercise," Dumbledore announced, "but first I would like you all to put all of the objects in these bags and bring them to the front of the room." 

"Harry, where is the Skelegrow?" Hermione asked. Harry vigorously pointed to his mouth.

"You're HOLDING it in your MOUTH!" Hermione cried. Harry nodded fiercely.

"Get the boy something to spit it into!" Ron cried. 

"What do I get?" Hermione asked, "And where from!"

"I believe you and Harry went over this in first year! You're a witch!" Ron cried.

"Right," Hermione muttered. She quickly transfigured another jar and handed it to Harry, who promptly spit the potion into it. 

"Wow Harry, why didn't you tell me?" Ron asked. 

"What do you THINK all of the waving and pointing and not speaking was about?" Harry replied. He muttered a charm to make his finger return to normal. 

"Sorry," Ron said, more to the top of his desk than to his friend.

"It's alright," Harry replied, "It's not like I have any extra teeth or anything." He smiled at his friends. 

"Well Mr. Potter, that is quite admirable of you," Dumbledore said, "So what do you think the point of this particular exercise was?"

"To teach us about our surroundings in a fun way," Hermione replied promptly. Just like Hermione to know the answer to a question meant to make the students think.

"Right in one Miss Granger," Dumbledore replied, "what was the hardest part of each of you?"

"Figuring out what a Holyhead Harpy was," Lavender exclaimed. Every boy in the room and Hermione cringed at her statement. 

"The Skelegrow," Ron and Harry said, while Hermione added, "_Romeo and Juliet_."

"_Romeo and Juliet,_ Miss Granger?" Dumbledore asked.

"All of the copies of the play were checked out of the Library by the time we got there," Hermione replied.

"Ah, I see," Dumbledore said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"How did you two finally get the Skelegrow boys?" Dumbledore asked, "I'm particularly interested due to the fact that the sample was carried in Mr. Potter's mouth."

"I charmed my finger to look boneless and told Madame Pomfrey I needed some. I was just going to slip in into my pocket and then un charm my finger and leave, but she stood there until it was actually in my mouth. Then she went into her office so I ran out. Ron didn't understand that I needed something to put the Skelegrow in so I just left it until a few minutes ago," Harry explained.

"Very clever!" Dumbledore exclaimed. He turned to Dean, Seamus and Neville's group. "What about you all?"

"Our issue at first was with the Whomping Willow," Seamus said, but before he could reveal how that problem had actually been taken care of, the bell rang signaling the end of class. Everyone jumped up, grabbed their bags and headed for the door.

"Students!" Dumbledore called. They all turned to look at him. "Do any of you have a Phoenix Feather?" Dean, Seamus, Neville, Lavender, and Parvati all nodded dumbly. As none of them had come up with a spork, the feather didn't really matter. Rom and Hermione exchanged a panicked look, but Harry walked calmly over to professor Dumbledore. He withdrew his wand from his pocket and handed it to Dumbledore.

"Excellent Harry! I'll make note of that," Dumbledore said, "As you can't leave that with me." Harry smiled broadly at his two friends. Everyone else had already left the class. 

"What is that about?" Hermione asked.

"Phoenix Feather core," Ron explained.

"HARRY YOU'RE A GENIUS!" Hermione cried. She ran over to him and gave his shoulders a hard shake. All three friends laughed and Dumbledore just gave his characteristic smile. Then he said the five words that made Harry's entire morning seem fine.

"Harry, Quidditch trials are Friday."


	8. Chapter 8

I'm not JKR. 

I like reviews.

My beta, Nat, ROCKS!

This is a little mini-chapter featuring everyone's favorite Slytherins. Or if they're not your favorite, they're still the feature of this mini-chapter. Actually, they will probably be the feature of mini-chapters from now on. 

That being said.

*****

"Welcome to your first Defense Against The Dark Arts class," Dumbledore began. He stood at the front of the classroom in front of the fifth year Slytherins. "As you have all probably heard, I have accepted the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." Most of the Slytherins had already sunk into a boredom other otherwise induced stupor. Pansy Parkinson was busy ogling Draco Malfoy. Draco had decided the instant he walked through the doors that listening to Dumbledore wasn't going to be a top priority for the class. Blaise was scribbling something on a piece of parchment. As a prefect, he thought his duty was to pay attention, but not to Dumbledore. Millicent Bulstrode was having a hard time keeping her eyes off of either Crabbe or Goyle, no one was quite sure which of the two she liked this week. Karen Moon and Taylor Nott were both examining their fingernails and having a whispered discussion about what color they thought would look good to paint their nails next. Apparently the one brain cell Crabbe and Goyle shared was, at the moment, in Goyle's possession. Crabbe had leaned back in his seat and had his eyes closed. Goyle at least had his eyes open and was looking at Dumbledore in a way that, to an observer, gave a vague notion someone was home. 

'Okay, for your first class, as I'm sure you've already heard, we will be having a scavenger hunt," Dumbledore announced. No one even looked remotely excited.

"So I suppose I shall split you into two teams," Dumbledore said. Draco's head shot forward from where he had been gazing at the ceiling.

"No professor, I'm sure we can take care of that," he insisted. 

"Ah," thought Dumbledore, "at least that one was paying attention." 

"Alright Mr. Malfoy, you divide the teams. Equally," 

"Alright. My team will be Zabini and these two," He said, pointing to Crabbe and Goyle, "And then the girls can be together."

"NO FAIR!" Pansy cried.

"Okay, we'll take Parkinson for Zabini," Draco laughed maliciously at Blaise as Pansy beamed happily at Millicent.

"NO FAIR!" Millicent cried.

"Won't work for you, Bulstrode," Draco spat. Blaise glared at Draco. Common knowledge around the Slytherin common room was that Karen and Taylor had a bet going to see who could be the first in Blaise's pants. Blaise generally avoided the two girls for that specific reason. 

"Alright Mr. Malfoy, now that that is settled, here are the lists." He handed a list to each of the prefects. The list was identical to the one Gryffindor had used. Draco looked it over carefully.

"This should be easy enough," He muttered to himself.

"A few small things before you start. No magic. Of any kind. Not even summoning charms. Especially after what happened last time." Dumbledore said, "You may begin." Draco had to laugh. The entire school knew that Potter had summoned Filch's desk to the Entrance Hall. Well, everyone knew that someone had summoned Filches desk and after the incident with Firebolt in the tournament, everyone assumed it was Harry. No one else besides the professors had a summoning charm that powerful. 

"So what's on the list?" Pansy cooed. She placed her hand on Draco's arm and rubbed her chest on his shoulder. Draco read the list to her. 

"I know where a bunch of that stuff is in the common room," Pansy cried. 

"Let's go then," Draco said. He jumped to his feet and took off towards the common room with Pansy right next to him. Crabbe and Goyle lumbered closely behind. 

"So Draco, who are you going to Hogsmead with the first weekend?" Pansy cooed, as they got a little closer to the common room.

"That's not for another month, Pansy, and I truly don't know." Draco replied.

"What about me?" Pansy asked.

"I'll add you to my list of offers to consider," Draco replied haughtily. "Draco Rules," he muttered to the tapestry that covered the entrance to the Slytherin common room. 

"Oh Draco, you're too much," Pansy laughed. She ran off towards the girl's dorm room. Crabbed and Goyle stood by the entrance waiting for a command from Draco.

"Sit," he prompted them. They sank down right where they sat.

"No you!" Draco began, but then decided against the exercise in futility. Reasoning with the two goons was beyond impossible. Instead, Draco pulled a piece of parchment out of his pocket, picked up a quill, dipped it in green ink and wrote "Pansy Parkinson" right below Finley Alexander and Debra Bulstrode. So he hadn't been lying to Pansy, he really did have a list of offers to consider. Like he would really go anywhere with Debra Bulstrode. He did credit her for being brave enough to ask him, but then again, he wasn't sure if it had been bravery or stupidity.

"Here you go Draco!" Pansy cried. She had collected all of the basic items on the list for him. He surveyed the myriad of objects she had dumped into his lap. She had found a sneakoscope, a spork, a Hollyhead Harpies Hat, a "Daily Prophet_"_, a recipe from Witch Weekly, a beater bat, a cauldron scrub brush and nail polish. 

"Good job, Pansy" Draco replied. He really was quite impressed with her. Pansy smiled broadly at him. 

"Hey look, they've got a Ravenclaw scarf," Draco pointed to the other group on the opposite side of the common room. 

"So?" Pansy asked.

"We need a scarf from another house," replied Draco.

"Can't you just ask your sister?" Pansy asked.

"I don't feel like speaking with the traitor" Draco said, "so what we're going to do is, you Crabbe and Goyle are going to head out towards the Whomping Willow. See if you can't pitch the idea of breaking off a branch to them. Otherwise, what is the use of having brainless goons?" 

"Alright, can do," Pansy replied, "what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to get that scarf," Draco replied, an evil glint in his eye. 

"Don't do anything stupid," Pansy warned. Draco grinned at her. "Of course not." Pansy collected Crabbed, Goyle, and the bag of scavenger hunt stuff Draco had magically enlarged and headed out of the common room. Draco sat down on one of the chairs and watched the other group. Millicent was off looking for something. Karen was, again, surveying her long bluish silver nails. Taylor had draped herself over Blaise in a chair and was whispering something in his ear. The scarf lay in their pile of stuff, more towards Karen, and near the bottom of the pile. Everyone was barely paying attention, so Draco did the first thing that came to him. He walked over, grabbed the scarf, and ran like hell out of the common room. Only Blaise noticed, and as he couldn't get Taylor off of his lap, he couldn't follow Draco. 

"You freak! Get off of me! Draco got our scarf!" Draco could hear Blaise screaming as he ran down the hall towards the steps to go outside. He didn't bother slowing down until he reached the rest of his group. In fact, he ran right by them holding the scarf high above his head and letting it trail behind him like a banner. 

"You got it!" Pansy squealed. She jumped up and couple of times and clapped her hands. 

"Would you expect anything less?" Draco asked as he dropped the scarf into the bag. 

"How did you do it?" Pansy asked. She looked wide-eyed at Draco.

"Oh it was nothing really," Draco said, trying to act nonchalant about the whole ordeal.

"Did they put up a fight?" Pansy asked.

"Nothing I couldn't handle," Draco said, smiling broadly. He laughed internally at how Pansy was devouring his brave answers, and he knew he'd be the hero of the day in the common room by that night. If only she really knew he had just grabbed the scarf and ran. The four teenagers finally reached the Whomping Willow. 

"Who is going to take care of it?" Draco asked automatically, facing his two goons. 

"I will," Crabbe muttered.

"No me," Goyle insisted.

"What did you do?" Draco asked.

"I told them I'd kiss whichever got the branches," Pansy replied. Draco looked at her, wide-eyed. His jaw dropped.

"You didn't," He laughed.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I did. The only stipulation was that they had to get the branches and not get hurt," Pansy replied. She laughed evilly. 

"Pansy you're evil!" Draco exclaimed.

"I know," Pansy said. She raised her eyebrow suggestively at him.

"Crabbe, go for it," Draco said. Crabbe turned to face the tree and walked tentatively over to it. Before he could even touch it, the tree hit him with a massive branch from somewhere near its top. Crabbe flew backwards and landed with a ground-shaking thud right next to Draco and Pansy's feet. 

"I broke my wrist," Crabbe announced. He clutched his right wrist to his chest and didn't bother standing up. 

"Your turn, Goyle," Draco instructed his other goon.

"Try talking to it," Pansy suggested. Goyle tentatively approached the tree. 

"Duh, Mr. Tree. Could I have one of your branches?" Goyle asked. Pansy and Draco waited for Goyle to get hit, but it never happened. By way of response the tree bent completely over and put her highest branch right at Goyle's face.

"Oh my goodness Pansy, I think he's going to do it!" Draco cried. Goyle reached up and grabbed the tree branch tentatively. No sooner than he had clasped both hands around the branch firmly, did the tree straighten up as fast as she could/ Goyle flew up and over the tree. When the tree was finally standing straight up, Goyle lost his grip on the branch. He flew another 100 meters and landed with a gigantic splash right in the middle of the lake. 

"Shit," muttered Pansy. She and Draco stood and stared at Goyle floundering about in the middle of the lake for about a minute.

"You know," Draco said calmly as Goyle sank below the surface yet again, "I don't think he knows how to swim."

"Draco! We've got to save him!" Pansy squealed. Before she could do anything a giant tentacle gently wrapped itself around Goyle and pushed him towards the shore. 

"No we don't," Draco replied as the tentacle boosted Goyle onto the bank, "the Giant Squid did." He and Pansy both looked over to Goyle's massive form lying motionlessly on the beach.

"I think he just gave a whole new meaning to the phrase beached whale," Draco muttered. 

"I got the branch!" Goyle cried suddenly. He sat up and waved a handful of leafy green matter at Draco and Pansy. 

"That might just work!" Draco said. He and Pansy ran over to Goyle and pulled the branches from his hand. By that time, Crabbe had gotten up and was lumbering towards the school. Goyle got up and followed him.

"They're going to be necessary for the next part of my plan!" Draco said suddenly. He sprinted forward and caught up with the two goons. He quickly did a healing spell on Crabbe's wrist while Pansy caught up with them.

"So what is the next part of your plan?" She asked as she walked up to the three boys. 

"We've got to get Gillyweed somehow, right?" Draco asked.

"Yes," Pansy said. 

"Well you and I are going to cause a distraction to lure Snape out of his classroom and you two are going to sneak in and steal some Gillyweed. Do you think you can handle that?" Draco asked Crabbe and Goyle. Goyle nodded dumbly.

"Gillyweed?" Crabbe asked. 

"Yes, Gillyweed. It's green and slimy and will be in a jar in a cabinet in Snape's office. I want you to hide in that little area right next to the door until Snape comes out of the room. When we get him out of sight, you all go in and grab the Gillyweed," Draco instructed. 

"You've got to get out as fast as you can," Pansy added.

"Where do we go when we got it?" Crabbe asked. The brain cell was back in his possession.

"The common room," Draco replied. 

"The common room?" Crabbe asked. Draco pulled the door to the castle open and began walking over towards the steps leading down to the dungeon. His team followed him.

"Okay guys, now what are you supposed to do?" Pansy asked Crabbe and Goyle.

"Stand next to potions room and wait for a distraction," Crabbe began shakily. Goyle took the brain cell.

"Then when Snape runs out go to his office," Goyle added. He passed the cell back to Crabbe.

"Then get some Gillyweed."

"And go to the common room!" Goyle finished excitedly. They were drawing closer to the potions room.

"Very good guys!" Pansy cheered.

"You're really good with them," Draco laughed.

"I have a Millicent who, I swear, is only better than the two of them because there is only one of her," Pansy replied. The group walked right up to the potions door. Draco pushed Crabbe and Goyle into a corner.

"Stay here until Snape runs out," he hissed at them. They both nodded dumbly. Then Draco turned and took Pansy's hand. He led her down the hall about 15 meters in front of Snape's door. 

"What are we going to do?" She asked as they walked. 

"How good of an actress are you?" Draco asked. 

"I don't know," Pansy replied.

"Well we're about to find out," Draco replied. He stopped abruptly and pushed Pansy into the wall. 

"Draco, what are you doing?" Pansy asked, sounding more than a little alarmed. Draco said nothing but placed his hand on the wall over Pansy's head. He smiled down at her and with one quick motion unzipped her robe. Pansy's evil grin suddenly equaled Draco's. She looked into his eyes and before he could make another move, her lips were on his. 

"You catch on quickly," he said, pulling away from their kiss. She replied to his statement with another kiss. He reached down and roughly picked her up off of the ground. She wrapped her legs around his waist tightly. He pulled away from her.

"Now we've got to be louder," he said. He pushed her back up against the wall, used his left hand to help support her weight around his waist and leaned on the wall with his right hand. She entangled her left hand into his hair and placed her right thumb over his mouth.

"We better not get too into this so we can run when we see Snape," she reasoned, before kissing her own thumb. 

"OH DRACO!" She moaned loudly. Draco resignedly kissed Pansy's thumb. 

"PANSY!" He shouted in what he hoped was a good, hoarse, "I'm-in-the-middle-of-doing-something-naughty-in-the-middle-of-a-corridor" voice. 

"DRACO!" Pansy shouted. She ground her hips into Draco's and he almost dropped her. She moaned loudly and the kiss on both sides of her thumb deepened as much as a fake kiss can. The door of the Potion's classroom flew open. Draco immediately dropped Pansy. They took one deer-in-the-headlights look at Snape and took off running in the opposite direction. They turned down another corridor and were almost at the end of it when Pansy stopped to catch her breath. Draco stopped too. They had pulled Snape far enough away from his classroom and their common room for Crabbe and Goyle to be relatively safe. 

"We're in so much trouble," Pansy muttered.

"Just play along. I'll talk us out of it," Draco replied under his breath. Pansy hurried and zipped up her robes before their irate potions master reached them. 

"PANSY PARKINSON AND DRACO MALFOY!" Snape screamed loudly enough for most of the castle to hear. 

"Yes professor Snape?" Draco asked. He mustered a very innocent smile. Pansy tried to stand up straight and breathe regularly. 

"What was that little spectacle about?" Snape asked. His voice had reached the level of quiet calm that couldn't signify anything positive.

"Oh nothing," Draco replied, again accompanied by an innocent smile. 

"Were you and Miss Parkinson snogging in the hallway?" Snape asked. Draco looked at his shoes and willed the tops of his ears to turn a little red, signifying guilt.

"A detention for each of you and Mr. Malfoy, you're now on probation as a Prefect," Snape said. 

"Yes sir" Draco said, more to his shoes than to Snape.

"You're lucky it's not worse. If anyone else had seen the little show the two of you were putting on. I'm very disappointed in both of you!"

"I'm sorry, professor," Pansy said. 

"Just be thankful I didn't take off points," Snape spat, "Now I've got to get back to the second year Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors." He turned sharply on his heel and headed back towards his classroom. Pansy and Draco snuck in the other direction towards the Slytherin common room.

"Way to talk our way out of trouble," Pansy muttered when she figured Snape was out of earshot. 

"You're not the one on Prefect probation," Draco snapped back. She said the password and they both went into the common room. 

"But I still got detention," she spat.

"I've already got two from McGonagall. At this rate, I'm going have some sort of school record for detentions received in the first week," Draco said.

"Hey guys, did you get the Gillyweed?" Pansy asked, ignoring Draco and walking over to Crabbe and Goyle. Crabbed reached down and opened a bag sitting at his feet. He pulled out four jars, three flasks, and a teapot.

"We couldn't remember what we were getting so we brought everything green and slimy." Goyle explained. Draco picked up the teapot and looked inside. Sure enough, it was filled with something green and slimy.

"I think this is it," Pansy said. She shook a jar of seaweed looking material in front of her own face. 

"Boy's you're geniuses," Draco claimed, when he noticed the cozy on the teapot.

"They are?" Pansy asked.

"Okay no. But their stupidity got us a tea cozy and that's on the list," Draco replied. He pulled the cozy off of the pot and tossed it, a long with some of the Gillyweed into the bag. 

"So what do we have left?" Pansy asked. 

"Books, air, Skelegrow, a picture, a feather, and a CD, whatever that is." Draco read.

"Air?" Pansy asked.

"From the Divination classroom" Draco replied.

"Okay, I'll go get the books and the air, you all can see about the Skelegrow," Pansy said. "Then we'll see what we can do about the picture."

"Meet us at the picture of Ravenclaw below the library," Draco instructed.

"Right," Pansy said. She got up and walked calmly out of the common room. 

"All right boys, any ideas about how we can get Skelegrow?" Draco asked Crabbe and Goyle.

"Ask?" Crabbe suggested logically.

"Too logical," Draco shot down the idea, "How about Goyle, you break Crabbe's finger and then Crabbe, ask for Skelegrow but don't take it." Crabbe and Goyle nodded dumbly. Draco suspected Crabbe would let Goyle break one of the fingers on his left hand, as that was the wrist he broke against the willow so that when the pain spell wore off in a few hours, Crabbe could have all of his injuries on one hand. Instead, Crabbe stupidly extended his right hand. Goyle grabbed Crabbe's right index finger and bent it backwards. It snapped crudely right where it attached to his hand. Crabbe screamed and ran from the common room. Draco jumped up and followed him and Goyle lumbered along a few meters behind Draco. 

When Draco and Goyle reached the hospital wing, they found Crabbe lying in bed guzzling Skelegrow from Madam Pomfrey. 

"Oh bloody hell," Draco muttered. He fell back against the wall and sank down to the floor. Crabbe took a dose of dreamless sleep potion from Madam Pomfrey. 

"Whadda we do now?" Goyle asked dumbly.

"Walk in there and grab the little bottle with the skeleton top," Draco replied sarcastically. Before he could mention that he was kidding, Goyle had entered the hospital wing. He walked over to where Crabbe was laying in the bed and picked up bottle of potion on the bedside table. He slipped it into his pocket and calmly left the hospital wing just like he had entered. 

"Like that?" He asked when he handed Draco the bottle.

"Yes Goyle, just like that," Draco said. He took the bottle and headed down towards the prearranged meeting spot with Pansy. Pansy met them halfway between the meeting spot and the hospital wing.

"I got the stuff," she said, pulling Draco the other direction, "Let's go."

"You even got Rowena Ravenclaw."

"Yes," Pansy said, "But Zabini is now bleeding from several orifices so we need to go."

"Zabini is WHAT?"

"He was trying to take the portrait from me while I took it off the wall so I kicked him in his balls and then when he fell over in his face," Pansy replied with a sly smile. "His nose is bleeding a bit."

"Note to self, don't make Pansy mad," Draco muttered as they headed back towards the Defense classroom. 

"So what exactly is a CD?" Draco asked, "It's the only thing left on our list."

"Good question," Pansy replied, "maybe your sister will know. She lived with muggles for all of those years."

"How many times must I repeat myself? I am in NO mood to talk to the traitor!" Draco replied.

"Fine then, I'll talk to her!" Pansy said. She stomped off in the other direction to find Astrid. Draco and Goyle headed into the defense classroom to wait for her. Dumbledore wasn't in the room, so Draco took the opportunity to catch a quick nap. 

"Draco! This is a CD!" Pansy shrieked as she stomped into the classroom waving a small, thin plastic box in Draco's face.

"Woman! Has any one ever told you that you have the voice of a banshee when waking one from a nap?" Draco asked groggily. 

"A CD is a device for listening to muggle music. While they won't work on Hogwarts grounds, they do work in Hogsmeade and on the train, so many students have them in their possession" Pansy screeched.

"A dirty rotten trick to make us talk to muggle-borns," Draco spat. 

"Right on one Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore said. He had just appeared in the front of the classroom. Draco glared at Dumbledore. Millicent Bulstrode entered the classroom followed by Taylor, Blaise and Karen. Blaise, who was having trouble walking, had an arm around Karen and Taylor. He had dried blood below his nose and dark purpled circles under both eyes. His nose had swollen considerably.

"What happened to you Mr. Zabini?" Dumbledore asked.

"I fell down the stairs," Blaise said, throwing an icy glare in Pansy's direction. 

"Alright. Class is dismissed. Leave your bags at the front of the room. Miss Nott and Miss Moon, will you please escort Mr. Zabini to the hospital wing?" Dumbledore asked. Blaise with his Taylor and Karen crutches limped back out of the room. Millicent and Goyle waited for Pansy and Draco to leave.

"Another note to self; NEVER make Pansy mad. EVER!" Draco muttered. Pansy elbowed him playfully, and Draco made a silent mental note to elevate her status on the list of Hogsmeade offers. 


	9. Chapter 9

I own a couple of notebooks, some bookmarks, all four books, and toothpaste with the likeness of Harry Potter on them. I do not, however, own the real Harry Potter.

I like reviews.

Thanks to all of those who have reviewed so far.

My Beta, Nat, ROCKS!

That being said:

*****

"Quidditch trials are in exactly 35 more minutes," Ron muttered. He looked down into his goblet of Pumpkin juice thoughtfully. 

"You know Ron, that would do you a bit more good if you would actually drink it," George suggested. Ron turned a murderous glare towards George.

"Attention students, I have an announcement to make and a few points to award," Dumbledore said. He stood up at the staff table and looked across the hall at his students.

"I wonder what Wonder Boy and the Weasel have done now," Draco muttered from the Slytherin table. Pansy laughed loud enough for a good portion of the people at the next table over to glare at her. 

"As you know, you have all completed or attempted to complete a scavenger hunt in Defense Against the Dark Arts class this past week. As you attempted your tasks, many of the teachers, portraits, ghosts, and I have been observing you and I have decided to award house points to a few of the more exemplary groups." A general murmur or excitement swept over the assembled students. Ron actually pushed Quidditch trails to the side of his mind for the first time since Dumbledore had announced the date. 

"First off, the Ravenclaw seventh years. I award you all 20 points for the lovely nail polish that actually changes colors with the mood of the wearer," Dumbledore said.

"No fair!" Someone from the Slytherin table called.

"Yes, Mr. Flint, I'm afraid it is. You see the Ravenclaws made their nail polish from scratch and it really does change colors with the mood of the wearer," Dumbledore said. Everyone in the great hall clapped politely for the seventh year Ravenclaws.

"Also, to the fourth year Ravenclaws, 10 points for turning in _The Complete Works of William Shakespeare_, not just the requested play." Another round of polite clapping ensued. 

"To the second year Hufflepuffs, 20 points for the ingenious idea of turning in _Romeo and Juliet_ as a book on CD, counting for both the play and the CD. And another 20 points because every year insisted on working as one large group instead of several small ones." The Hufflepuff table broke out in cheers, and the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw cheers were a little louder than they usually would have been in light of Cedric's death. 

"To Slytherin, especially the Slytherin fifth years, 40 points for retrieving all of the objects in a style that would have made Salazaar Slytherin himself proud." Cold looks from Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff met the overzealous Slytherin cheers. 

"And Gryffindor. 10 Points to a certain seventh year group for their interesting use of Fillibusters Fireworks in retrieving every item on their list!" Fred, George, and Lee Jordan all jumped to their feet and bowed deeply to everyone in the Great Hall.

"Also, 20 points to the fifth years for their interesting exchange of items and generally working together to play to the groups strengths and weaknesses." All of the fifth years smiled at Harry, as their compromise had been his idea. Everyone else cheered for them. "Also, 20 points to a certain fifth year group for their retrieval of Romeo and Juliet and Skelegrow. I'm surprised a certain fifth year doesn't have extra teeth after that. The same fifth year group also gets 10 points for turning in a wand with a Phoenix Feather core as their bonus item rather than trying to break into my office." Dumbledore concluded his announcements and sank back down into his chair.

"What is he talking about with the teeth thing?" Fred asked Harry, Ron and Hermione curiously.

"Harry over there held Skelegrow in his mouth for upwards of fifteen minutes for us," Hermione explained.

"He's not exceptionally bright," Ron added. 

"Excuse me, you were the one who didn't understand that the potion was in my mouth and I needed something to spit it into!" Harry exclaimed.

"And Ron, you know picking on the guy that's going to be helping run your big Quidditch trial in a little while probably isn't the most intelligent thing for you to do either," Fred said. Ron turned bright red and looked back into his pumpkin juice. 

"So exactly who is going to be the captain this year?" Hermione asked.

"Harry," Fred and George replied instantly.

"That seems to be the popular opinion," Hermione laughed, "Who is trying out?" 

"Everyone!" Ron cried. 

"Technically, Ron, there are over 6 billion people in this world! The majority are muggle. Of those that are wizard, only a few go to Hogwarts. Of the ones at Hogwarts, only a fourth are Gryffindor. Of the ones in Gryffindor, only 6/7 are eligible to try out. Of those 6/7, six are already on the team. I HARDLY think it's everyone," Hermione reasoned. 

"Hermione?" Ron asked.

"Yes?" Hermione replied innocently. Fred and George had already leaned under the table to hide their laughter from their younger brother.

"Shove it," Ron instructed. Hermione smiled sweetly at her friend.

"Ron, be nice to Hermione," Fred instructed. 

"Who picks the captain?" Harry asked suddenly.

"Uh," Began George.

"Well," continued Fred.

"We're not quite sure," George finished.

"What?" Harry asked.

"Wood was already the captain by the time we all got on the team, so we haven't necessarily ever had to go through the captain selecting process," Fred explained.

"This should be interesting then," Harry laughed.

"So who all is trying out?" Hermione asked.

"Ron wasn't far from lying when he said everyone," Harry replied.

"We're picking eight positions. Everyone from second year up is trying out," Fred said.

"Eight positions?" Hermione queried.

"Yes. Dumbledore wants us to have a full set of reserves," George said.

"Why?" Hermione asked.

"Hermione I think you're the one person in Gryffindor Tower who doesn't know this already," Ginny laughed.

"Yeah, I'm a first year and I've even heard about the Quidditch trials!" Astrid piped up. Hermione glared at Astrid. 

"Guys, lets go! We need to get some things set up before trial!" Alicia announced from just behind Hermione's left shoulder. Harry, Fred and George all got up and followed Alicia out of the Great Hall.

"So which position are you guys trying out for?" Hermione asked Ginny and Ron.

"Keeper," Ron replied instantly.

"Reserve Chaser," Ginny said almost as quickly. 

"I want to be the seeker when Harry leaves!" Astrid squealed.

"You play Quidditch too?" Hermione asked.

"Of course," Astrid replied.

"I really am surrounded," Hermione muttered more to her food than to anyone sitting around her. 

*****

About half an hour after dinner, the majority of Gryffindor students made their way down to the Quidditch Pitch for the biggest Quidditch trials Hogwarts had ever seen.

"As you know, trials will be a bit different this year," Alicia announced to the group of nervous students gathered before the current team.

"Since this is the last year for all of us except Harry, and Dumbledore is making us have a full set of reserves," began Fred.

"And we need a keeper," George added.

"We will be choosing eight new members of the Quidditch team," Fred finished. Half of the crowd looked excited while the other half looked positively sick.

' "The reserves chosen will be next years team," Katie said.

"Except for Harry and possibly the keeper," Angelina amended. The five seventh years looked expectantly at Harry who was standing at the end of the line.

"Er, right! Good luck!" Harry exclaimed. Alicia again took charge.

"Everyone trying out for chaser go with Angelina and Katie. Beaters follow Fred and George. Seekers and Keepers come with Harry and me!" she called. The team immediately split up and went to opposite parts of the field. With only minimal confusion, the mass of people followed the team members.

From her spot in the stands with Astrid, Hermione could just pick out Ginny and Ron among the masses of hopeful keepers and chasers. 

"So why exactly does Dumbledore want a full set of reserves?" Hermione asked.

"Well, you know about the inter-school league, right?" Astrid asked.

"Yes. Harry and Ron have done nothing but talk about it since Dumbledore announced it at the Welcome Feast," Hermione replied. 

"Well. In the case that the bigger part of a team needs to be away for a match and there is an inter-house match at the same time, the reserves can play the inter-house match," Astrid explain.

"Can't he just schedule the house matches around the school matches?" Hermione reasoned.

"You know Hermione, for a smart person, your common sense really isn't that great," Astrid laughed.

"What?" Hermione asked. She glared at the younger girl.

"I mean really, supposedly Dumbledore was a Gryffindor," Astrid began.

"Really?" Hermione asked.

"Yes."

"How do you know?"

"I've heard about it."

"Oh really?" Hermione asked. "Don't you think he's a bit too good at the manipulation thing to be a Gryffindor?"

"I don't know. At any rate, if he WAS a Gryffindor, he wouldn't want to see his old house loose the Quidditch cup now would he?" 

"There is no way they can loose this year!" Hermione cried.

"Probably not this year, but next year the Slytherin team will be more experienced. And most people think Draco bought his way onto the team. Well, okay, he did. But he is fairly talented in his own right," Astrid said. 

"And next year Harry and possibly the keeper would be the only returning players from Gryffindor," Hermione added.

"Exactly. This is a way Dumbledore has of making sure next years Gryffindor team has a year to train together before they have to play any matches," Astrid explained. "At least that's what I think."

"It does make sense," Hermione agreed. "So who do you think the new keeper will be?"

"Ron with Neville as the reserve," Astrid replied promptly, "or maybe the other way around."

"Neville?"

"Yes Neville. He's built like a keeper and he's not a bad flier," Astrid said.

"How would you know?" Hermione asked. 

"I saw him practicing Wednesday night," Astrid explained. "Seamus and Dean were throwing to him and he stopped most of them. Of course, Ron has had practice with the actual chasers, who are probably quite a bit better than Seamus and Dean, so don't count him out."

"Who will the chasers be, since you have such an opinion on this," Hermione asked.

"Dean, Seamus, and Ginny," Astrid replied.

"Ginny? Really?"

"Ginny is good," Astrid replied, "probably from all of the practice she's had with her brothers and everything."

"Do you and your brothers play Quidditch?" Hermione asked.

"Are you kidding? I can't stand the Princes Purebloods' attitudes long enough to practice Quidditch with them."

"The princes who?" 

"The Princes Pureblood. Draco and Keiran." Astrid replied.

"Are they really that bad?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, they're really that bad. Keiran is, if anything, worse than Draco."

"Why?"

"I can't tell you," Astrid replied solemnly.

"Why not?" Hermione replied.

"I've already risked being disowned simply by being in Gryffindor. Divulging family secrets to someone my brothers regularly call the m-word probably wouldn't be the best idea on my part," Astrid said. 

"Alright," Hermione replied. She discontinued the conversation with Astrid to pay attention to where Harry and Alicia were working with the seekers. 

"I think he's going to kill her!" Hermione squealed. Harry and Natalie McDonald, a hopeful for seeker, were both on brooms rocketing towards the ground as fast as they could. Harry, on the Firebolt, had pulled considerably ahead of Natalie, but she had pushed her Nimbus 2001 to its limit in trying to keep up with him. Suddenly, about five meters from the ground, Harry pulled his broom to level out right above the pitch. Natalie followed suit, leveling out only about three meters above the pitch.

"She just went farther than Harry in that feint!" Astrid squealed.

"Yes, she did, but I suspect Harry was taking it easy on her. He's done much better," Hermione reasoned.

"And he's not trying for his own spot either," Astrid added. Harry returned to a group of people hovering on brooms a ways above the pitch. He selected the next person from the group and proceeded with flying straight at the pitch again. This person pulled out of the feint at least 15 meters above the pitch, while Harry waited until he was two meters off of the ground. 

"Look at Ron!" Astrid squealed. She pointed down to the other end of the pitch. Alicia had procured a box of muggle footballs and was proceeding to throw them as hard as she could at all of the three goals. Ron, taking advantage of his height, was stopping the majority of the balls. Alicia had a habit of shooting at the left goal and then the right in quick succession. Ron was fearless on his broom. He didn't use his hands on his broom at all, rather gripped the broom between his legs and left both hands free for stopping shots. After stopping his fourth pair of extreme shots, Alicia stopped and put Neville in front of the goals. 

"I'm impressed. Even Wood usually kept one hand on the broom!" Hermione said as Ron flew over to the group of keeper hopefuls. 

"That was fairly impressive on his part" Astrid said. Hermione could see Ron's smile from almost the other end of the pitch. Neville had taken Ron's spot in front of the goals. Alicia began bombarding him with the football's. Surprisingly, Neville stopped almost as many as Ron did. Almost. He was a bit hesitant on the consecutive shots on extreme goals though, and missed several of the second shots. 

"He's good," Hermione said appraisingly of Neville.

"Not as good as Ron though," Astrid replied. 

"Neville didn't spend most of his childhood on a broomstick either," Hermione replied. 

"Really?" Astrid asked.

"His Grandma wasn't really a big fan of him flying. And then in first year he broke his wrist right before our lesson had a chance to really start," Hermione explained.

"So why did she allow him to try out this year?" Astrid asked.

"I'm not really sure, but he's quite good," Hermione replied. Neither girl had taken her eyes off the pudgy boy in front of the far goals. Neville definitely wasn't as sure about flying as Ron had been, but he still managed to block a fair amount of the shots.

"I think if you give him a year of practice, he'll be better than Ron," Astrid declared.

"What makes you say that?" Hermione asked.

"Ron, while very talented, is a bit reckless to play keeper effectively." Astrid said. Hermione laughed silently at the small girl seated next to her. She was taking the critiquing so very seriously.

"What about the chasers?" Hermione asked. Katie and Angelina had conjured a set of floating cones and had the chaser hopefuls weaving in and out of the cones as fast as they comfortably could across the center of the field. 

"Seamus and Dean are both impressive fliers," Astrid said. She and Hermione both stopped to watch Seamus tearing at a break-neck speed through the cones. 

"I'm surprised at Dean. He's muggle born," Hermione said.

"Hermione, Harry proves that waiting till your first year to fly a broom means nothing. What exactly are Fred and George doing?" She had torn her eyes away from the chasers and looked down to the pitch where Fred and George were running a tryout for beaters. Fred stood in the middle of the pitch facing a beater hopeful and holding a small white ball in his left hand. George was crouched a ways away from him just behind the hopeful. The hopeful stood sideways with his right side facing George and a bat slung over his right shoulder. Suddenly, Fred threw the ball at the hopeful, who swung the bat in an attempt to hit the ball. He missed. George caught the ball and tossed it back to Fred. 

"It looks like they're playing a muggle game called Baseball," Hermione explained.

"Why?" Astrid asked.

"They're Fred and George. I learned long ago not to question their motives on anything," Hermione laughed. Astrid laughed and both girls turned back to watching the baseball game. 

*****

After two long hours, Alicia called all of the hopefuls and the team into the middle of the field. Astrid and Hermione made their way from the stands over to where Ron, Seamus, Dean and Neville were standing. Ginny, Jae and Colin stood on the other side of the group from the boys. Alicia called the team over out of earshot of the majority of Gryffindor house.

"How do you think you did?" Hermione asked the boys as she and Astrid approached the group.

"I did really well, I think!" Ron exclaimed.

"I'll probably make reserve," Neville said, looking wistfully at the ground. 

%%%%%

"What do you guys think?" Alicia asked, glancing over at the group of students.

"Natalie McDonald. Natalie McDonald. Natalie McDonald!" Harry exclaimed.

"So who is the reserve seeker?" Fred asked playfully. 

"Natalie McDonald!" Harry said.

"Shhh! They'll hear you!" Alicia said.

"At any rate. Natalie McDonald," Harry replied.

"What about the chasers?" Alicia asked.

"Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, and Kyle Burns," Angelina said immediately. Harry, Fred, and George all looked kind of disappointed. They knew Ginny had wanted the position quite badly. 

"Okay. Ron Weasley is the new keeper, with Neville Longbottom as the reserve," Alicia announced. Fred and George exchanged high fives, and Harry's disappointment for Ginny instantly turned to happiness for Ron. 

"Dios mio," Angelina muttered. The other five players shot her quizzical looks.

"What?" She asked, "Aren't I allowed to be a little afraid now that Weasley's are taking over the team?" 

"You were speaking Spanish," George pointed out.

"Spent a portion of the summer in Spain, you knew that!" Angelina said. She tapped George lightly on his shoulder. He acted hurt and frowned at her. She and George had been dating off and on since Fred took Angelina to the Yule Ball. No one was still quite sure how she had ended up with George, but the arrangement seemed to work out quite nicely. 

"So what about the beaters?" Alicia asked.

"Frankly," George began.

"They all sucked," Fred finished. 

"Really?" Alicia asked. She sounded very worried. 

"Yes," the twins said in unison. 

"Who do you pick?" Alicia asked.

"None of them?" Fred suggested.

"Colin Creevey was the best," George added.

"What do you plan on doing?" Alicia asked. Harry looked over to where his friends were standing. They were standing in two distinct groups about 15 meters apart from each other. Ron had just thrown something at Ginny. He, Dean, Seamus, Neville, Hermione and Astrid were all looking expectantly to where she and Jae were standing. As soon as Ginny looked at the boys, Astrid, and Hermione, they all tried to look nonchalant. Ron went as far as to put his back to Ginny and Jae. Ginny picked something up off of the field. She stepped a few feet away from Jae and tossed the small rock into the air. When it came back towards the ground, she hit it with the handle of her broom. The rock sailed towards Ron with tremendous speed. Hermione noticed it at the last second and yelled for Ron to duck. Instead, Ron spun around and caught the rock. He picked up the bat from the beater trials and hit the rock back at Ginny. 

"So how do you propose we choose reserve beaters?" Alicia asked. Harry zoned back into the conversation.

"Ron and Ginny," Harry said quickly.

"What?" Alicia said.

"Ron and Ginny. They're over there hitting a rock back and forth using the handle of a broom and their baseball bat. Ginny is deadly accurate and Ron's not too bad himself. And if they can hit a rock with a broom then they surely can hit a bludger with a beater bat" Harry explained.

"Yeah they can. You should see them at home! As long as they don't get mad and start hitting the bludgers at each other, they're usually pretty good!" Fred exclaimed. 

"But they're our brother and sister and they didn't even try out for Beater," George said.

"The real problem is, how can our keeper be a reserve beater?" Katie said.

"How much worse than Ron was Neville?" Harry asked.

"Not much," Alicia admitted.

"When Ron has to play beater next year, Neville can play keeper. With a year of training, Neville will improve so moving Ron won't hurt us that much," Harry replied logically. 

"Genius Harry," Fred laughed.

"But that still doesn't solve the brother, sister, not trying out problem," George reminded the group. 

"Leave that to me," Alicia said. She began walking back towards the group, so the rest of the team had to follow her. 

"Attention!" Alicia called when she got to the group of students. Her statement was a bit unnecessary as everyone had gone instantly quiet when the team started walking towards them. 

"After a bit of deliberation, we have decided on our keeper and reserve teams!" Alicia announced, "Now some of you may be a bit surprised, as you didn't try out for the position on the team you received. Don't worry, we paid careful attention to all of you and are quite sure our selections are best." Harry, Fred and George exchanged excited glances. Alicia had handled their problem beautifully.

"So I suppose we shall start with the reserves," Alicia said. Ron groaned in loud protest. 

"The reserve seeker is," Alicia looked expectantly at Harry.

"Natalie McDonald!" He, Fred and George chorused. The small second year girl looked positively elated, and did quite a good job ignoring the glares she was getting from the people gathered around her.

"The reserve chasers are Seamus Finnigan," began Alicia.

"Dean Thomas," continued Angelina. Dean and Seamus exchanged a high five followed by a very manly hug. Ginny clenched her fists next to her sides and tried, albeit unsuccessfully, to hide the hopeful look on her face. 

"And Kyle Burns!" Katie finished. Kyle, a sixth year, jumped straight up and pumped his fist into the air. Ginny instantly looked down at her shoes. Jae reached over and draped an arm lazily around her friend. 

"The reserve keeper is Neville Longbottom!" Alicia announced. Neville jumped straight up in the air, a la Kyle, and received high fives from Seamus, Dean and Ron. Hermione hugged him when he was finally through jumping. The expression on Ron's face definitely said "Since Neville is reserve, I'm most likely the starter!"

"The reserve beaters are," Alicia began. She looked expectantly at Fred and George.

"Ginny Weasley and Ron Weasley!" They cried at the same time. Ginny literally jumped onto Jae. Jae spun her friend around several times. Ron, on the other hand looked murderous. Harry was quite glad he couldn't hear what Ron was saying, as both Dean and Seamus were shying away from him, Hermione and Astrid looked positively horrified, and Neville well, Neville was still a little excited about his appointment as reserve keeper so he wasn't paying too much attention to Ron. 

"And now, I suppose we should announce the new keeper," Alicia said. She looked down at the rest of her team. They all nodded their approval. 

"However, we must add, before we announce the player, that they will be expected to step down from their position after a year to allow the reserve to play next year," Angelina added. 

"The new keeper is RON WEASLEY!" Harry shouted to keep the girls from stalling their announcement anymore. Ron had begun kicking at clumps of grass to show his disappointment at being made a reserve beater. At the announcement of his name, he turned to look at the team. His jaw dropped. Both Seamus and Dean ran over to him. They clapped him on his back. Hermione actually jumped into his arms and pulled him into a great hug. Neville muttered his congratulations, but his mind was more on the announcement Angelina had made. That he would be the starting keeper in a year. Ron hugged Hermione and sat her back down on the pitch. Astrid then took her turn at jumping into his arms. He spun her around several times before sitting her next to Hermione. 

"Party in the common room!" Fred and George cried. Everyone started up towards Gryffindor tower.

"Thanks for trying out!" Alicia called after their retreating backs, before resigning herself to following them. Quickly enough, only Fred, George, Ron, Harry, Hermione, Astrid and Ginny remained on the pitch. 

"Congrats you two!" Harry yelled as he ran over to the group. He high fived Ron and hugged Ginny.

"I'VE GOT TO OWL BRAEDEN!" Ginny cried while Harry was hugging her.

"I've got to see about getting a replacement ear drum for the one you just made useless," Harry muttered, rubbing the ear Ginny had yelled into. Ginny paid no attention to him and took off running towards the castle. Ron jumped onto his broom and shot straight up in the air.

"What's he doing?" Hermione asked.

"Looks like he's taking a victory lap," Harry replied. Fred and George jumped on their brooms and followed their younger brother. Harry looked from Hermione and Astrid to his broom to the boys in the sky back to the girls.

"Go," Hermione replied. 

"We can stand here," Astrid added. Harry jumped on his broom and rocketed straight towards Fred and George. Ron took a quick victory lap and then flew back down to Hermione and Astrid. 

"Hey Astrid, need a lift?" Ron asked. Astrid squealed loudly and jumped on the broom behind Ron. She wrapped her small hands around him and he kicked off again. The pair shot straight at Harry, Fred and George, who were having an airborne conversation in the middle of the field. Hermione could hear Astrid's gleeful squeals from where she was standing on the ground. As Astrid and Ron approached, Fred, George and Harry scattered in several different directions. George and Harry shot towards opposite ends of the field, while Fred flew directly towards Hermione. He landed softly about a meter away from her?

"Fancy a ride?" He asked, indicating the broomstick grasped tightly between his legs. Hermione instantly turned red. 

"Hermione Anne Granger! I'm appalled at you!" Fred exclaimed when he realized why she was blushing. "I meant, would you like to go flying on my broomstick!" Hermione turned almost purple and laughed loudly. Fred, too, turned red. He jumped off of the broom. It hovered just about the ground. He walked over and picked up Hermione. He carried her back to the broomstick and sat her on it. Then he climbed on in front of her.

"Hold on," he instructed. She tentatively placed her hands around his waist. She had stopped laughing as soon as she realized that she was going flying, whether she wanted to or not. Fred kicked off of the ground and the pair flew towards Harry. Hermione was simply amazed. She hadn't been on a broomstick since her first year, and flying with Fred was nothing like that first experience. The wind ruffled her hair and stung her cheeks a bit, but she was comfortable behind Fred. 

"Anne's not my middle name you know," Hermione said.

"I didn't figure it was, but it's Ginny's, so I figured it would work for you too," Fred explained.

"It's not Ginny's either!" Hermione laughed. She could imagine the confused look on Fred's face.

"Okay, so maybe it's mums," Fred laughed, "what are yours and Ginny's?"

"Ginny's is Eirene," Hermione replied.

"And yours?" Fred asked.

"Lenore."

"Hermione Lenore Granger," Fred said, "I like that."

"Thanks," Hermione replied brightly. 

"Pay up, Potter!" Fred called as they drew closer to Harry and George. Ron and Astrid were circling the field quite a ways above the goals. 

"How did you manage that?" Harry asked, looking at Fred and Hermione suspiciously.

"I like to think it was my suave charm and my boyish good looks," Fred replied. He ran a hand over his short red hair. 

"You might have the charm, but I'm the one with the boyish good looks!" George insisted. 

"How do you figure?" Fred asked.

"I'm younger, therefore automatically more boyish," George reasoned. 

"He picked me up and put me on the broomstick," Hermione said. "Did you guys have a bet on me?"

"Uh actually, yeah. I bet Fred he couldn't get you up here without having to knock you out or getting hurt in the process," Harry laughed.

"Get him, Fred!" Hermione commanded. Fred urged the broom to shoot straight at Harry. Harry tore off in the other direction. George stayed still and looked slightly bewildered at what was happening around him. Hermione laughed quite loudly as she and Fred chased after Harry. Fred's broom was no match for Harry's though, so Harry got away quite easily. Ron and Astrid were still circling the pitch high above everyone else. 

"Let's go get them!" Fred insisted when it became apparent that they wouldn't catch Harry anytime soon.

"Okay," Agreed Hermione. She had become much more relaxed, and was quite enjoying herself. Fred rocketed off towards Ron and Astrid. When they pulled up next to the other pair, Hermione actually let go of Fred and tapped Ron playfully on the shoulder.

"Tag! You're it!" she cried at Ron. Fred zoomed off.

"Ron, it's a game. Go chase someone down!" Astrid instructed. Ron took off towards George. He easily caught his brother and made George "it." Hermione and Fred had gone up to where Ron and Astrid had been. They began circling the pitch, oblivious to the raucous game of tag going on below them. 

"This isn't so bad is it?" Fred asked. Hermione rested her head lightly in the soft spot between his shoulder blades.

"Not at all," she replied. She was amazed at herself. She was on a broomstick high above the ground with Fred Weasley. As much as she hated to admit it, she was having an amazing time. Fred was really sweet when he wasn't pranking. 

"FRED!" George cried from the pitch. Fred turned to look at his brother. "We have to go find food for the party we threw and are currently not attending!" 

Fred sighed deeply. "Coming George!" he called. He slowly turned to broom towards the pitch and began a gradual descent so as not to scare Hermione with a breathtaking dive. Hermione was personally more amazed. She had expected Fred to attempt one of Harry's infamous feints in getting the two of them back to the ground, but he didn't. He landed the broom on the opposite side of the pitch from George, Ron, Harry, Astrid and Alicia. 

"That was a lot of fun," Hermione said as she dismounted the broom.

"Maybe we can do it again sometime?" Fred asked. 

"Sure" Hermione replied brightly. The tips of Fred's ears turned red. 

"Come on!" George insisted. He ran over to where Fred and Hermione were standing. Fred shouldered his broom and turned to his twin.

"Let's go," He said. They started back towards the castle. Hermione walked back to her friends.

"What did he say to you?" Ron asked before Hermione could get completely over to them.

"Just that we'll have to go flying again sometime," Hermione said. Ron turned bright red. He looked only slightly furious. Harry and Astrid tried to stifle their laughter. 

"Come on boys, to the castle!" Hermione insisted. She tossed an arm around Harry and Ron's waists. They both shouldered their brooms and threw their other arms around Hermione's shoulders. Astrid took Ron's broom from him and threw it over her own shoulder. Ron held out his now-empty arm to the smaller girl. She rested her hand in the crook of his elbow and the four made their way back to the castle. 

When they got to the common room, Ron and Harry were greeted with congratulatory shouts. Hermione dismissed herself to go find Ginny. The Wizards Wireless had been set up in the corner and charmed to play nonstop dance music, quite loudly. The chairs and couches had been pushed back to the walls and the center of the floor was filled with dancing couples. Hermione found Ginny sitting on a chair staring wistfully out of the window. 

"Hey girl, congratulations!" Hermione said as she approached her friend. Ginny turned to look at her friend. She had tears in her eyes and a crumpled piece of parchment in her right hand.

"Oh no, what happened?" Hermione asked.

"Braeden," Ginny said. She thrust the letter at Hermione. Hermione unfolded the parchment and began reading.

_Ginny,_

My Angel. How are you? Things here at Beauxbatons are… boring and empty. I miss you. There is an interschool Quidditch team this year. I may get to come to Hogwarts at some point, as I made keeper for the team. We had trials last night. I miss you. I hope we travel to Hogwarts instead of your team coming here. If we go to Hogwarts we'll get to see each other. Did I mention I miss you? More than anything. I'm trying to convince my mother to go to England for the Holidays, so possibly we'll get to see each other over Christmas. I know that is quite a ways away. I don't know if I'll be able to stand it. I don't feel complete without you. At any rate, I've got to go. My friends want me to go to dinner with them, and Brantley is pestering me about my girlfriend. (He means you). So I need to go talk to him. I miss you!

_Love Always,_

_Braeden._

_P.S. I miss you._

"Aww Ginny, that is so sweet!" Hermione squealed.

"I know," Ginny said. A fresh wave of tears made its way down her face. 

"Oh Ginny," Hermione exclaimed. She threw her arms around her friend. Ginny sobbed into Hermione's shoulder. "I miss him SO much!"

"FOOD!" someone cried from the portrait hole. The someone sounded very much like a Weasley twin. In reality, it was both of them with their arms full of stolen sweets from Honeydukes and the kitchens. 

"You should go dance with someone!" Hermione insisted.

"Is Braeden here?" Ginny asked.

"No," Hermione replied.

"Well then I'll not dance!" Ginny said. She wiped the few remaining tears out of her eyes.

"Watch out, here come Harry and Ron," Hermione warned. 

"Hey Gin, what's wrong?" Ron asked.

"Braeden," Ginny sobbed.

"WHAT HAS HE DONE!?" Ron roared.

"Down boy!" Harry said.

"She misses him," Hermione replied, "He's done nothing except go to school in France rather than here."

"Oh" Ron said. He unclenched his fists and his face returned to its normal color. He reached over and patted Ginny roughly on her shoulder. "It'll be okay." Ginny smiled weakly at her brother. 

"Hermione?" A redheaded someone behind Harry and Ron asked. They parted to reveal Fred standing behind them. His face was as red as his hair.

"Yeah?" Hermione asked.

"Wanna dance?" He held out his hand to Hermione.

"Sure," Hermione replied. She took his hand and he led her towards the dance floor. Harry whipped out his wand and pointed it at the radio in the corner. He muttered a few words under his breath and the fast techno song that had been playing changed abruptly to a slow one. 

"Like that wasn't obvious," Ginny laughed. Harry grinned sheepishly at her. Ron looked murderous.

"What is his problem?" 

"You know Ron. Sometimes a guy will fall for a girl. We like to say he 'fancies' her." Harry said. He made little quotation marks with his fingers when he said the word fancies. 

"Are you saying?" Ron asked.

"Yes, I'm saying that I think Fred fancies Hermione!" Ron sank down next to Ginny. He rested his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. Ginny reached over and patted him roughly on his back. "It'll be okay." She and Harry turned to watch Fred and Hermione. Both looked a little surprised at the sudden change in songs, but neither seemed to mind too much. Fred placed both of his hands on the small of Hermione's back and she wrapped her hands around the back of his neck. They stayed a good distance apart.

"You know, they're relatively cute," Ginny commented.

"Yes," Harry agreed.

"And she's doing pretty well to be dancing with Fred," Ginny laughed.

"What?" Harry asked.

"He's a living terror on the toes," Angelina said. George was pulling her past the group on their way to the dance floor. No sooner than the comment left Angelina's mouth did Hermione wince visibly. 

"Sorry," muttered Fred, turning bright red.

"Oh, it's alright," Hermione said. Fred accidentally stepped on her toes again. She winced a little more this time. Fred turned even redder and in his embarrassment stepped on her toes again.

"How about this?" Hermione asked. She flipped her shoes off and kicked them towards the wall.

"Oh gosh no! Now I'm going to murder your toes!" Fred cried. Hermione laughed at him before gently placing one sock covered foot on each of his steel-toed Quidditch boots. Fred laughed and held her closer.

"If I'm standing on your toes you can't stomp mine," Hermione laughed. Fred, despite turning another shade of red, laughed along with her. 

"Oh my gosh they're closer!" Ron cried from the corner. 

"Shh!" Harry and Ginny insisted. Sure enough though, Fred and Hermione had barely an inch of space between the two of them. Hermione lazily leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

"I think that's one of the cutest things that I've seen in a while," Harry laughed.

"What happened to Krum?" Ron voiced the question on everyone's minds. 


	10. Chapter 10

I own the plot, the first names and the personalities of a couple of the characters, and not much else. JKR owns that.

My beta, Nat, rocks. 

I really do like reviews. 

Thanks to all those who have reviewed so far.

That being said:

***** 

"So what happened to Krum?" Ron voiced the question that had definitely been on everyone's minds since the advent of Hermione and Fred at the party Friday night. No one had been brave enough to bring it up until Hermione slipped into her seat at the Gryffindor table the Tuesday morning after the Quidditch trials.

"What?" Hermione asked. Harry, Ron and Ginny all stared at her intently.

"Wait, isn't Krum that famous Quidditch guy?" Astrid asked. 

"The famous Quidditch guy that Hermione dated last year," Ginny corrected. Hermione nervously looked up and down the table.

"The twins are still up in the tower working furiously on their Transfiguration homework," Ron said without asking what she was looking for.

"Right then, some Swedish girl named Olga happened to Krum," Hermione replied.

"He's got another girlfriend?" Ron asked coolly.

"Oh no, evidently he had a one night stand with her at the World Cup and now he has a wife named Olga," Hermione corrected.

"Wait. A one night stand led to him being married?" Harry asked.

"His wedding was only the social event of the summer!" Astrid squealed. 

"It must have happened while we were at Hermione's," Harry reasoned,   
"That's why we didn't hear about it."

"So how did a one night stand lead him to get married?" Ron asked.

"Actually it wasn't really the one night stand," Hermione said.

"But you just said," began Ron.

"It was the product of the one night stand" Hermione replied.

"What?" Ron asked.

"He has a gorgeous baby girl named Tatiana," Hermione said with a sly smile.

"WHAT!" Ron roared.

"Evidently his fling with Olga produced Tatiana. Olga found him after he got out of school and introduced him to Tatiana. Paternity tests proved she is his, so his parents forced him to marry Olga," Hermione explained. 

"That's crazy!" Ron cried. Harry nodded vigorously in agreement.

"How did they hide Tatiana at the wedding?" Ginny asked. 

"Oh they didn't, she screamed for quite a bit of the ceremony" Astrid replied with a smile.

"You were at the wedding?" Ginny and Hermione both asked.

"Of course," Astrid replied, "the Krum's are old friends of my family." Ron and Harry exchanged an incredulous glance. 

"Morning everyone!" Fred exclaimed. He slipped into an open seat next to Hermione.

"Good morning, Fred," She replied, smiling sweetly at him. George half-fell into a seat across the table from his twin. His hair stood up on end, his robes were wrinkly, and he had a bright red line running down the side of his face from sleeping on the seam of his pillowcase. 

"And that is pre-breakfast George," Ron said, pointing at his brother. George glared at him.

"Don't worry, the fangs shrink and he regains control of the English language as soon as he's had food," Fred quipped. George glared at his twin and ripped the corner off of a piece of toast with his teeth. 

"He looks a little vicious," laughed Hermione. George turned his glare on her.

"He's really quite harmless" Ginny assured her. Everyone gathered, save George, laughed at the youngest Weasley. 

"Do I have to go to Potions this morning?" Ron asked after everyone's laughter had subsided. 

"YES!" Hermione insisted. 

"Why?" Ron asked. "I'm still excited about making the team and dealing with   
Snape will simply ruin it for me!"

"You made the team Friday night. I do believe it is time for you to come off of your high," Hermione announced. 

"Amen!" Fred cheered. George even managed to smile around his toast. Ron glared at them all.

"I'll have you know that I'm one of the first players in a very long time to get chosen for two positions!" He insisted.

"Thank your sister for that," Harry said.

"If she hadn't hit that rock at you," continued Fred. He looked expectantly at George to finish his sentence. George was too busy devouring his toast to finish sentences for his brother. 

"When do you think they'll announce captain?" Harry asked.

"Good question. McGonagall said she'd decide by the end of this week," Fred replied.

"McGonagall?" Harry asked.

"She is head of house isn't she?" Hermione replied. Harry shot her a withering look.

"Evidently she's the one who picks the captain," Fred said, ignoring the glares flying between Harry and Hermione.

"So who do you think it will be?" Harry asked.

"You," Fred replied simply. 

"Me?" Harry asked.

"Yes you, git!" Ron exclaimed, "Of the seven members of the team, five are seventh years. Of the two that aren't seventh years, only one is a returning player. I hardly think a new player would qualify as captain."

"How vaguely familiar does that sound?" Hermione muttered. She received quizzical looks from everyone around her except Fred. Fred laughed appreciatively. He slipped an arm around her shoulder. Five days had passed since the party, and Fred and Hermione hadn't progressed much past minor flirting. Sometimes, when he thought no one was looking, Fred would slip his arm around her shoulders. He even did it right in front of everyone, like that morning at breakfast, occasionally, She had seemed receptive to his advances, but no major declarations of love had happened. Or declarations of like, for that matter. 

"What about the school team?" George asked. He finally had enough food in his stomach to speak coherently again. 

"I wonder who the impartial judge is going to be," Fred said. 

"Do you think I'll get to try out?" Ron asked hopefully.

"You're a starter for the Gryffindor team aren't you?" Fred replied. Ron smiled broadly.

"I am aren't I!" He cried. Hermione shrugged Fred's arm off suddenly.

"Potions!" she declared, standing up quickly. Fred scrambled to his feet too.

"I'll walk you," he offered.

"You'll be late," she objected.

"I'm a Weasley," Fred said with a mischievous smile. 

"We have Charms next," George added.

"And everyone knows we don't need anymore charm," Fred finished haughtily. Hermione playfully poked him in his ribs. He jumped back and clasped his hands over the spot where she had poked him, catching her finger in his as he did. Harry and Ron slowly stood up, complaining the entire time about Potions and Hermione's general enthusiasm for school. Hermione tried to pull her finger away from Fred. He reached over and picked up her bag. He tossed it over his shoulder. Then he finally let her finger go, only to entwine all of his through hers before she could say anything.

"AAWWW!" Came Ginny and Astrid's collective reaction. Hermione and Fred both reddened visibly, but they didn't stop holding hands. Ron, Harry, and George all made several unattractive gagging noises, but were silenced with a glare from Fred. He and Hermione began walking towards the doors of the Great Hall. Ron and Harry followed them a bit more slowly. 

%%%%%

"How did she manage it?" Lavender Brown asked Parvati Patil. The two girls watched Hermione and Fred walk from the Great Hall, hand in hand.

"She's the biggest book worm in Gryffindor, possibly in the whole school! And she manages to get with one of the two biggest pranksters!" Parvati squealed.

"Like that'll ever last," Lavender laughed. 

"I think it's cute," Parvati countered.

"No," Lavender corrected, "You think Fred's cute."

"George is still single though," Parvati reasoned. 

"So if you married George and Padma married Fred, and you and George had kids and Padma and Fred had kids, would your kids look just like their cousins?" Lavender asked.

"Lav, you're thinking to much," Parvati said. She stood up. "Come on, we've got to go to potions."

"Isn't George with Angelina?" Lavender asked as she followed her friend from the Great Hall, still nibbling on a piece of toast.

"No, I think they're off again this week," Parvati laughed. 

%%%%%

Hermione couldn't believe herself. She was walking down towards the potions dungeon voluntarily holding hands with Fred Weasley. He had been incredibly sweet to her since their dance (okay, since their five dances) at the party the previous Friday night. The fact that they had danced five dances without noticing exactly what was happening stood as a testament to itself. But the fact of the matter was, Fred Weasley was different. Completely different from any guy she'd ever been with. Okay. Decidedly different from Krum. But Fred was also different from the guy she pictured herself dating. The guy she pictured was, in fact, more like Percy. He was studious and followed the rules. He didn't have the motto "rules were made to be broken." He didn't hold a school record for detentions. He certainly didn't know more secret passages about the school than anyone, and know them all by heart. Then she thought about Krum. So maybe he wasn't her ideal guy either. He had been more studious. But he was now married with a child as a result of a one-night stand, so he had more of a wild streak than she ever knew about when they had dated. She felt Fred's hand tighten slightly around hers. So Fred had been ideally sweet. He'd held doors for her, and when he thought no one was looking he'd slip his arm around her shoulders. She sighed a bit. He'd even let her dance standing on his toes. For five dances! Of course, his boots were steel toed so he didn't feel a thing, but the thought is what counts. Right? 

"Hermione, we're here," Fred said, drawing her out of her thoughtful reverie. Hermione turned to look at him. He smiled at her and handed her bag to her. He still hadn't let go of her hand though.

"Thanks for walking me," Hermione said, smiling sweetly.

"No problem" He replied, "You should probably go in before Snape gets here and decides to take points off."

"Yeah, I probably should," she said, glancing at their hands. Fred quickly pulled her hand up. He brushed a light kiss on the back of it before pulling his hand away.

"See you at lunch," he said, turning bright red.

"Yeah," she replied before heading into the Potions classroom. He watched her go before turning to run to Charms. 

Fred couldn't believe himself. He was running at a breakneck speed to avoid being late to Charms. Okay, so running to prevent being late wasn't an unusual occurrence. But he wasn't usually late because he had been walking Hermione Granger to class. He couldn't really place the date he had noticed Hermione. Of course, she had always been there. At school, at his house, wherever. And she'd been the annoying know-it-all friend of Ron's. But when she had come to the Burrow that summer, she had seemed more grown up. Less know-it-all, if that was possible for Hermione. Her hair had changed. It was longer and curlier, less bushy. And he couldn't help but notice that she looked more like a woman and less like a little girl. But she was Ron's friend. And he was Ron's brother. So him dating Hermione was wrong on several different levels. In fact, he'd always suspected she and Ron fancied each other. So he'd resigned himself to getting Angelina back from George. George never should have pretended to be him on the day after the ball anyway. But then, on the first night back, Hermione and Ron shared their kiss and the "that felt like kissing my sibling!" moment that ensued. If Ron hadn't wanted Fred to go for Hermione, he should have never said that after kissing her. As it was, his comment gave Fred all of the permission he needed to go after Hermione. After all, she didn't seem like a little sister to HIM. So it had taken Fred a good week to make his move on Hermione. But finally they had gone flying together.

"And the rest is History," Fred thought to himself as he spun into the Charms classroom and into his seat next to Katie mere seconds before he would have been tardy. 

"Let me guess," Katie whispered, "Either you couldn't bear to leave Hermione in Potions, or Ron cornered you in the dungeons and tried to hex you into next week. Fred attempted a laugh; quite a daunting procedure considering he was trying to catch his breath at the same time.

"Ron has actually been fairly reasonable about this whole thing," He finally gasped. Katie looked quite amazed at his revelation. "Really?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him. 

"As reasonable as a Weasley can be," Fred corrected himself.

"That's better," laughed Katie. 

"SSHHH!" Alicia hissed from her seat in front of Fred and Katie. She sat with Angelina, while George sat with Dani Carmichael in the front of the room. Lee and Jae Lucas's older sister Marissa sat together next to George and Dani, while Coltan Franklin and Leah Myers occupied the seats behind Lee and Marissa. 

"Shove it, Head Girl," Katie whispered back at Alicia. Alicia turned around and glared and Fred and Katie, who both laughed under their breath. 

%%%%%

Hermione slipped into her seat between Harry and Ron.

"He finally let you come to class?" Ron asked, raising an eyebrow at his friend. She jerked an elbow into his ribs.

"THAT HURT!" he exclaimed, clamping his hand over the spot she had hit him. 

"Leave her alone, Ron," Harry warned.

"Leave HER alone, RON?" Ron cried. "Shouldn't you be saying 'leave him alone Hermione?'" Hermione and Harry both laughed at their outraged friend.

"No. She wouldn't have elbowed you if you hadn't been picking on her about Fred," Harry reasoned.

"Well if she wouldn't have been acting all romantic with him out in the halls, I wouldn't have to pick on her," Ron countered.

"Well if you hadn't screamed about kissing your sister after she kissed you, maybe she wouldn't have to be all romantic with Fred," Harry hissed. He made sure to keep his voice low so no one would find out about Ron and Hermione's kiss. Ron turned bright red and Hermione began spinning her quill through her fingers. Harry smiled sweetly at them both, knowing he had won the argument with Ron. 

"So Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger have been snogging in the common room, have they?" an oily voice from just behind the friends asked. Snape had entered the room just in time to hear Harry's comment about Ron and Hermione's shared kiss. All of the Gryffindors turned to look at the two bright red prefects in the back row while all of the Slytherins collapsed in rounds of obnoxious laughter. 

"I personally don't think it's any of your business," Hermione snapped quietly at the potions master's back. Ron and Harry both looked at her, wide-eyed and open mouthed.

"WHAT did you say Granger?" Snape asked in a coolly menacing voice. He spun to look at Hermione. 

"She _said_, 'I personally don't think it's any of your business'," Ron replied, equally coolly, if not nearly as menacing. Harry and Hermione glared at Snape. 

"I personally think you've both got detention tonight. The three Malfoys already have one, so meet them in the Entrance Hall at 9 to serve your detention with Hagrid," Snape replied. He turned to continue walking towards the board. Hermione bent down under the table to retrieve something from her bag. The potions master took two more steps towards the board before a solid ice statue took the place of Snape in the center of the classroom. The statue was frozen mid stride with one arm extended in front of it.

"Bloody hell," came the only statement from anyone in the class. Everyone else was too busy staring at the frozen potions master. 

"What did you do to him, Weasley?" Draco asked. He was only the second to regain his voice. Harry had been the first.

"I… Didn't do anything!" stuttered Ron. He was still looking at Snape with his mouth hanging open.

"Sure you didn't" Pansy cried.

"I don't think he did!" Karen insisted from her seat next to Blaise. Pansy and Draco both turned to look at her.

"He looked away before Snape turned to ice. I think it was Potter," Karen reasoned.

"Um, can I make a suggestion?" Neville asked nervously.

"No!" Draco exclaimed.

"Sure," Hermione said at the same time. They glared at each other.

"Maybe someone should unfreeze Professor Snape so he doesn't kill us all when he finally does thaw out," Neville said. He trembled visibly at the thought of Snape's rage. Draco pulled out his wand and muttered a thawing spell. Almost instantly, Snape stood in the middle of the room in the middle of a large puddle. His hair hung in limp ringlets around his face and his robes were soaked. Water trickled off the end of his crooked nose. He looked at Harry and Ron.

"Bring your wands to me," he instructed both of them. They nervously got up and walked to their drenched potions master. He took Ron's wand first and preformed _Priori Incantatem_ on it. A shadow of a matchbox floated above the two wands.

"Transfiguration homework," Ron explained. Snape took Harry's wand and preformed the spell. A shadow of a matchbox floated above the two wands. 

"Transfiguration homework as well," Harry said. Some of the Gryffindors chuckled nervously.

"So if neither of you cast the spell, who did?" Snape asked, glaring at the two boys standing in front of him.

"It was Harry!" Karen called.

"His wand just proved him innocent for once," Snape said, turning his glare to the girl.

"He didn't use his wand, just his eyes," Karen insisted.

"Really?" Snape asked. Karen and about half of the Slytherins nodded.

"Very well then, Potter, you can join Weasley and Granger in detention tonight. And both of you go to the headmaster now," Snape commanded. Harry and Ron didn't need to be told twice. They grabbed their bags and stormed from the room. 

"I can't believe him!" Ron cried. Harry just scowled at his shoes. "He gave us detention for no good reason!"

"Actually," Harry said, " I think he had a pretty good reason this time."

"WHAT!" Ron roared.

"Well, you actually talked back to him, which either takes a lot of balls or no brains. And I think I froze him."

"You can't tell me you're admitting guilt," Ron said, looking at his friend. Harry pulled his glasses off and polished them on his robe as they walked.

"Actually, yes. I was staring at him and he froze. I believe it's termed accidental magic," Harry admitted.

"So you froze Snape without using your wand?" Ron asked incredulously, "Karen was right?"

"For once in her life, yes," Harry replied. "At least I think so."

"I can't believe we've got detention with the Malfoy children!" Ron cried.

"You and Astrid seem to get along fine," Harry countered, "and we're going to be with Hagrid."

"But being with Hagrid means going into the Forbidden Forest usually. Don't you remember what we found in the Forbidden Forest in second year?" Ron asked.

"Okay yes. Gigantic spiders," Harry laughed.

"It's really not funny, Potter," Ron snapped, "And knowing my luck I'll get paired with, well, not with Astrid!"

"Hermione's got it too," Harry said.

"I can't believe she talked back to Snape!" Ron cried, "My brother must be rubbing off on her!" He started up the stairs to the Entrance Hall.

"How do you feel about that?" Harry asked the question that had been on his mind since the party Friday night. 

"How do you think I feel? My older brother is trying to date my best female friend!" Ron cried.

"So do the threats you made to Braeden stand with Hermione?" Harry laughed.

"Not funny, Potter," Ron growled, "in fact no, those threats stand with Fred."

"I figured as much," laughed Harry.

"But at the same time, I think I would rather her be with Fred," Ron said.

"Why Fred?" Harry asked.

"Because if he hurts her, I know where he sleeps!" Ron's laugh bordered on maniacal. "And even if I wasn't okay with it, what can I do to change it? I set myself for it after that episode in the common room the other night."

"That, you did," Harry said, unsure of what else to say. He slipped his glasses back onto his face. 

"What's the password?" Ron asked. Harry, finally able to see again as he had just put his glasses back on, realized they were standing at the infamous gargoyle. 

"Fizzing Whizbees," Harry guessed.

"Chocolate Frogs," Ron said.

"Ice Mice?" Harry questioned. The gargoyle, if anything, got more still and scowled at the two boys. 

"Acid Pop?" Ron queried. The gargoyle sprang back revealing the spiral staircase. 

"Eeeww," Harry said. Ron shuddered at the thought of that particular sweet. 

"Come in!" Dumbledore cheerfully exclaimed. He met the two boys at the top of the stairs.

"Hello professor," Harry mumbled as a greeting. Ron just waved politely. They both seated themselves in the chairs in front of Dumbledore's desk. 

"Hello boys. It seems as though there was some trouble in Professor Snape's class?" Dumbledore cut right to the chase. 

"Yes," Harry admitted. He and Ron instantly looked at their shoes. 

"Well, he has already handled the potion, so all I'm asking is for you to tell me exactly how he got frozen," Dumbledore said. The two teenagers looked instantly relieved.

"Well, I'm not really sure," Admitted Harry. I was looking at him and then all of the sudden he was covered in ice.

"Were you mad at him?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes," Harry said, "he had said some pretty rotten stuff about Ron and Hermione in front of the entire class."

"Have you done any wandless magic before" Dumbledore asked.

"Not since I was really little," Harry said.

"None lately?" Dumbledore prompted.

"Not that I can think of," Harry replied.

"Well. There is a distinct difference between what you did in potions and what you used to do when you were younger. Before school, when children do wandless magic, it's termed accidental magic. After they begin proper training, if they can still do this accidental magic, it is then termed wandless magic," Dumbledore explained.

"The handcuffs!" Harried cried suddenly. Dumbledore looked at him with an extremely interested look on his face. 

"What?" Ron asked.

"When I was with Bill, Fred, and George this summer, I managed to get the handcuffs off of my wrists when they wouldn't!" Harry explained excitedly. 

"WHAT!" Ron asked, a little louder than necessary.

"When they pretended to arrest me," Harry continued. Dumbledore smiled knowingly. 

"WHEN THEY WHAT!" Ron screeched. 

"When they rescued Harry from the Dursley's," Dumbledore clarified Harry's rambling statements for Ron. 

"They had me in handcuffs because I was supposed to be being arrested! Then Bill transfigured the cuffs into shiny pink bracelets that I couldn't get off. He wouldn't charm them off, so I accidentally transfigured clasps onto them and they came off that way," Harry explained.

"You did?" Dumbledore asked, sounding quite a bit more interested.

"Yes, I did. And Bill and the twins seemed quite amazed that I managed to do wandless magic," Harry added. 

"Well, I advise you to go back to Gryffindor tower until lunch. Harry, please try to control yourselves as much as possible with the wandless magic. If it happens any more, we may have to get you into special training to control your abilities," Dumbledore said.

"I'll try to control it," Harry promised. He and Ron excused themselves from the Headmaster's office and headed back towards Gryffindor tower. 

"No more potions!" Ron exclaimed. He jumped a couple of steps in front of Harry.

"But we've got a detention. In the Forbidden Forest, with _spiders_!" Harry reminded him. Ron shuddered.

"And Malfoys!" Harry continued. Ron shuddered even more.

"Oh come on Ron, Astrid's not that bad," Harry said.

"No, Astrid is probably one of the coolest first years," Ron replied, "But her brother is a prick and her little brother is, well, I think he's worse than Malfoy."

"But Little Malfoy isn't her little brother," Harry corrected, "She's the middle child. Malfoy and Little Malfoy are older and Emma and Barrett are younger."

"Shove it, Harry," Ron exclaimed.

"So what do you propose we do while we should be in potions?" Harry asked. 

"Chess?" came Ron's suggestion. 

*****

"WE BEAT HIM!" Astrid's girlish squeal pierced the tension in the common room before Harry could mutter those faithful words. "Check. Mate." Ron stared tensely at the board as if he could will his way out of a loss. Harry leaned back in his chair and crossed his hands comfortably behind his head. 

"You were no match for me this time Weasley," He laughed.

"Me?" Ron asked. He raised his eyebrow at Harry and the group congregated around the back of Harry's Chair.

"Okay, us," Harry corrected himself. The chess game had started out before lunch as just Harry and Ron. Ron had been winning when they had to go to lunch, so they placed charms on the game to protect it until they got back from dinner. When they got back from dinner, Fred had instantly occupied the chair next to Harry's to watch the game. Fred, however, did more helping than actual watching. Quickly enough, Hermione occupied a spot on Fred's lap and joined in the group effort to dethrone the Chess King. The combined efforts of Harry, Hermione and Fred caused the game to shift in their direction. When the news of Ron's possible defeat spread around the common room, Ginny and George had come over and stood behind Harry to add their support to the team. Lastly, Astrid had climbed onto the back of Fred and Hermione's chair so she could watch the game too, and she had offered her share of insightful comments. 

Now Fred and Hermione were using the victory as an excuse to hug. Astrid had jumped into George's arms and he was swinging her wildly about the common room. Ginny had a goofy grin plastered on her face and Harry smiled smugly at Ron.

"You know, I think I would feel worse if it hadn't taken six people to beat me," Ron said, laughing at the celebrating crowd. 

"Picture time!" Colin exclaimed, running over to the group brandishing his camera. "I need to capture this momentous occasion of Ron being beat in Chess on film!" Ron and Harry both glared at the younger boy, but Hermione seemed to agree that a picture was in order.

"George, get over here and bring Astrid with you!" she instructed. George and Astrid spun their way back to the group. 

"Everyone gather around Ron!" Colin called. Ron begrudgingly turned his chair to face Colin. Ginny sat on the floor at his feet and George and Harry knelt to either side of him. Astrid dragged Harry's chair from the other side of the table and positioned it directly behind Ron's. She stood up on it and rested her hands lightly on his head. Fred and Hermione stood on either side of Astrid, slightly between her and Ron.

"Now everyone say 'Team!' on the count of three, and Ron, could you try to look mad?" Colin asked. Ron nodded at the boy. 

"Okay. ONE… TWO… THREE!" Colin called. Ron scowled at the camera and everyone else shouted, "TEAM!" Colin snapped the picture.

"This is going to be great you guys!" Colin exclaimed, "Thanks!" Ron rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair. 

"Bloody Hell, we've got detention in about a minute!" Harry swore, looking down at his watch. Hermione and Ron exchanged a panicked look and Astrid looked positively elated.

"You mean you guys got detention with me?" She asked.

"Yeah!" Ron shouted as he headed for the door with Hermione and Harry close on his heals. Astrid chased after them. 

"WAIT FOR ME!" She cried Her small legs couldn't carry her fast enough to keep up with the three older students. Instantly, Hermione, Harry and Ron all slowed down for her. She caught up with them and Ron crouched down. 

"Hop on," He instructed, indicating his back. She giggled and clamped her arms around his neck. He stood up and grabbed her knees, pulling her onto his back. The three friends resumed their sprint towards the Entrance Hall. 

"STOP!" Astrid whispered when they reached the top of the last staircase. Ron slowed down. "Why?" 

"I need to get down. Draco and Keiran will kill one of us if they see me this close to a Weasley!" Ron rolled his eyes and crouched down to let the little girl walk again. The three friends and Astrid quickly ran down the stairs to meet Hagrid and Astrid's brothers in the Entrance Hall. 

"It's about time you all decided to show up," Draco muttered as the four Gryffindors took the last steps into the Hall.

"Right then. Ternight we'll be feedin' the beasts tha seventh years'll be learnin' 'bout in me next classes," Hagrid announced.

"Which are?" Ron asked warily.

"Yeh'll see," Hagrid replied, "I'm gonna hafta split ya inta groups of two. Each'll go in to a different group of animals and feed them." Draco and Keiran instinctively edged closer to each other. "So I suppose it'll be Ron and Astrid, Harry and Keiran, and Hermione and Draco." Everyone missed the panic-stricken look Astrid shot at Harry, since they were all to busy glaring at one another. 

"Right then," Hagrid said. He lumbered out of the Entrance Hall and down towards his hut at the edge of the forest. Draco, Ron, Hermione and Harry all had to walk quickly to keep up with him, and Astrid and Keiran were forced to jog to keep up with the rest. 

"What are we feeding?" Harry asked. He jogged up next to Hagrid. Hagrid looked around nervously, making sure Ron was out of earshot.

"Some of Aragog's children," Hagrid confided in him.

"Ron is going to," Harry began.

"Yah. That's exactly why yer not ta tell 'em," Hagrid replied. Harry smiled at the half-giant and then slowed down to be with his friends again. He was slightly amazed at Hagrid's insistence on keeping the secret from Ron. Hagrid wasn't notorious for his secret keeping abilities. 

"So what are we dealing with?" Hermione asked when Harry got back to them. Harry looked directly at her and mouthed the word "spiders." Hermione's jaw dropped and she looked furiously at Ron and then back at Harry. Harry shrugged his shoulders. 

"Should we warn Astrid?" Hermione mouthed. Harry shrugged again. Hermione rolled her eyes at him and immediately slowed down to fall instep with the twins.

"Astrid," she whispered, looking down at the little girl. 

"Yes" Astrid asked.

"We figured out what we're dealing with. We've got to feed Acromantula," Hermione hissed. Astrid looked up at her, slightly panicked. "Acromantula?"

"Yes. That's not the worst part," Hermione replied. Astrid's eyes grew wider.

"Ron is horribly afraid of spiders," Hermione said. Astrid clamped her hand to her forehead.

"So I've got to go feed gigantic spiders with a big guy who is afraid of spiders?" Astrid asked.

"Terrified would be more like it," Hermione almost laughed. 

"Hermione, its not funny!" Astrid cried. Hermione smiled at her and went over to join Harry and Ron who had stopped in front of Hagrid's hut.

"Alright. I've got these steaks 'ere for you ta feed the creatures," Hagrid said. He pointed as three piles of bloody lumps of meat.

"Are those cows?" Ron asked suspiciously. Hagrid nodded at them and pointed to three marked paths into the woods. "Each group 'ill go down tha path and feed tha creature at tha end."

"What exactly can we expect to find?" Ron asked, quite warily.

"Three of Aragog's kids are lettin' us study 'em," Hagrid replied. Ron turned white, and then an odd pale green color. He took a few steps backwards. 

"So, yer not s'posed to use magic. One of you can carry the meat and the other can light the way. Here 'r some lanterns." Hagrid handed lanterns to Astrid, Hermione and Keiran, and looked expectantly at the three teenage boys. Ron, Harry, and Draco all headed over and each picked up a leg of cow. Then they followed their partners down the paths into the forest.

*****

"That was the most disgusting detention I've ever served!" Hermione exclaimed. She flopped down onto a couch next to the fireplace after changing into her pajamas. Harry and Ron were both in flannel pajama pants and t-shirts. Ron sprawled out across the floor in front of the fire and Harry curled up in an armchair.

"At least you didn't have to serve it with little Malfoy," Harry said. 

"How was he?" Ron asked curiously.

"He's a terror. He told me the Dark Lord was going to eat my spleen for defeating him so many times," Harry replied.

"Eat your spleen?" Hermione asked. 

"What's a spleen?" Ron queried. 

"Did he say anything besides that?" Hermione questioned.

"Not really. He was more content to stand there and watch me work. Aragog's son did not like him at all though," Harry said.

"That's saying something. If a bloody spider doesn't like you!" Ron exclaimed.

"It kept muttering something about the new darkness," Harry said.

"That's only slightly odd," Hermione said. 

"A new darkness?" Ron asked. 

"From what I could tell, that's what the spider was saying," Harry replied, "how was Malfoy?"

"Which?" Ron asked with a sly smile.

"Malfoy, git!" Harry exclaimed, glaring at his friend.

"He was a part, as usual," Hermione said, "but he really needs some new material, the whole mudblood bit is getting a bit old."

"Did the spider react oddly to him?" Harry asked. The wheels turning in his head were visible. Obviously, the spider's statement concerning Keiran was bothering him.

"No, it was just happy to have food," Hermione replied.

"What about Astrid?" Harry queried.

"I don't know. We had issues," Ron half laughed.

"Issues?" Hermione asked.

"She's afraid of the dark when she's not familiar with her surroundings, and then the entire fact that we were working with spiders," Ron replied. 

"So how did you guys get through it?"

"Very quickly. We practically ran down to the spider, pitched the meat over the edge of the enclosure and ran back out of the forest," Ron laughed. Hermione and Harry had to laugh at him too.

"So you wouldn't know if the spider said anything about Astrid?" Harry asked.

"I didn't get close enough to hear it speaking. I got to the point that I could comfortably throw the meat over, and then threw it, waited till I heard it hit the forest floor and then hurried back out of there." 

"You know Ron, that's only slightly pathetic!" Harry laughed. 

"Shut up. Imagine being a little kid when suddenly your teddy bear had too many legs and was black instead of brown and had beady red eyes!" 

"Is that the sign of a bad guy in the wizarding world?" Harry wondered.

"What?" Ron and Hermione both asked. Neither were quite sure where his line of questioning was headed. 

"Red eyes. You know who has red eyes, the spiders have red eyes," Harry said.

"The basilisks eyes were green and it was nastier than the spiders," Hermione said.

"That's what you think," spat Ron. 

"Calm yourselves!" Harry insisted, "You don't want to wake the entire population of Gryffindor tower!"

"Astrid did make a rather interesting comment tonight," Ron said, forgetting his argument with Hermione. 

"Which was?" Harry asked, his thoughts instantly back to the spiders comment about Keiran.

"She says she feels a little out of place hanging out with us all of the time. She wants to try to find some friends in her own year," Ron replied. 

"Really?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," Ron said. "I told her we'd still be there for her if she needed us and as her prefects, she should come to us if she has any trouble with anyone." 

"She's a ridiculously brave little girl," Hermione said.

"First Malfoy in Gryffindor. I'd say so," Harry replied. 

"And on top of it all, she's a pretty cool little kid. She just needs to learn to stop the comments about the number of brothers and sisters I have every once in a while."

"Would that be brothers and sister?" Harry wondered.

"How about just siblings," Hermione suggested. Ron frowned grumpily at the two of them. 

"We love you Ron!" Hermione said, smiling broadly at her friend. He teasingly glared at her. She jumped up from her spot on the couch and jumped onto Ron's back. Harry sprang from his chair and jumped onto Hermione, enveloping them both in a bear hug. 


	11. Chapter 11

I own the first and middle names and personalities of a couple of the characters, a few of the other characters, and most of the plot. JKR owns the rest, except for the portion of the plot I shamelessly jacked from the first Mighty Ducks Movie. So whoever owns the rights to that movie also owns that segment of my plot.

Thanks to my beta, Natalie, who is also my Slytherin Specialist. 

You guessed it, another mini chapter featuring everyone's favorite Slytherins.

I like reviews!

That being said:

*****

"Welcome, men, to this year's Slytherin house Quidditch trials," Casey Warrington announced. He and the other four returning members of the team stood before a group of either extremely enthusiastic or extremely apathetic-looking Slytherins. 

"What about the women?" Karen asked, indignantly.

"I don't see any here," Casey replied, dumbly laughing at his own joke. Karen, and Taylor, among other Slytherin girls glared at him, but he paid no attention to them. When Debra and Millicent Bulstrode both scowled at Casey and cracked their knuckles in a very menacing way, however, his laughing came to a stuttering halt. He glanced nervously at the rest of the team, but they all shied away from him in a very "you're-taking-care-of-this-one-yourself" way. 

"At any rate. We need two chasers and a full reserve team," Casey said. He had been selected team captain over Adrian Pucey, the returning seventh year keeper. 

"How are you going about deciding?" Karen asked. 

"That will be left up to the individuals running the trial," Casey announced, "beaters will go with Derrick and Bole, keepers with Adrian, seekers with Draco, and chasers will follow me. Don't suck." The hopefuls looked at the captain with bewildered looks on their faces, but then they followed their assigned players. 

%%%%%

Milton Derrick and Edwin Bole turned to look at the beater hopefuls crowded around them. Crabbe and Goyle stood right in the middle of the crowd like two boulders in a sea of pebbles.

"Okay, this trial will be fairly simple," Derrick began. 

"First everyone needs to pick up a beater bat," Bole interrupted, pointing to a box on the field next to them. A round of dumb looks from the gathered group ensued just before a mad dash to the box to claim a bat.

"They're dumb enough to be beaters," Derrick laughed. He received a dumb look from Bole, but before he could say anything, all of the hopefuls had regrouped around them and all were holding bats. 

"Alright, you're all going to get on your brooms and when we say go, you're going to take off and the last two still on your brooms get the positions," Derrick instructed.

"GO!" Bole cried.

"And DON'T SUCK!" Derrick called after them. All of the hopefuls jumped on their brooms and kicked off. Goyle and Crabbe immediately took off for the trench around the field. They disappeared into the trench relatively unnoticed. Meanwhile, Millicent Bulstrode had taken to rocketing straight at the smaller players as fast as her broom would go. If the sheer sight of Millicent on a broom speeding straight towards the player wasn't enough to make them jump off of the broom, then the strength she hit him with sent them plummeting to the pitch below. A small second year had the idea to stay still and attempt to hit her with his bat before she could crash into him. As a result of his attempt, he received the end of Millicent's broom handle right in his stomach. He flew off of his broom and when Millicent made a sharp left to chase after her next hapless victim, the kid fell 25 meters to the pitch below. He fell with a sickening thud and didn't move. Derrick pulled out his wand, conjured a stretcher, levitated the poor boy onto it and waved it off in the general direction of the school. Millicent had already succeeded in knocking the majority of the smaller players off of their brooms, but she was having a problem with a rather large fourth year. She would fly straight at the boy and he'd hit her on her rather large back with his bat. She'd back up and rocket at him from a different angle, and he'd hit her back with his bat. 

"Those two look good," Derrick commented to Bole.

"She does, but you know I don't fly on that side of the Quidditch pitch," Bole muttered, nodding at the boy.

"That's not what I meant you sick freak!" Derrick exclaimed. "They're good Quidditch players!" Bole turned red and glared at Derrick. Before he could say anything, a falling third year interrupted their conversation. They both jumped out of the way and the boy hit the ground with a piercing crack. Derrick conjured another stretcher and sent the third year following the second year.

"Five more," Bole commented. Five of the original 15 players remained on their brooms. Six of the others sat around on the pitch. The remaining two floated lazily towards the school on their stretchers. Millicent and the fourth year were still going through their pattern of her flying and him hitting. Then Millicent halted in mid-air and slowly flew over to the boy. He swung his bat at her, but she ducked and said something to him. The two whispered for a moment before Millicent rocketed off at a remaining sixth year and the boy shot off towards a small second year. The sixth year, surprised to see Millicent, jumped off of his broom. The second year tried to run from Millicent's partner in crime, but the boy threw his bat at the second year. The bat hit the smaller child directly in the back of his head. He tumbled off of his broom and rolled quite ungracefully onto the pitch. Millicent and the boy shared a look before rocketing off to double team the last remaining beater hopeful. Before the remaining person knew exactly what was going on, Millicent had hit her in her lower back with the bat. The boy flew by and hit her in the exact same spot, and she lost her grasp on her broom and crashed onto the pitch. 

"Alright! It looks like the reserve beaters for this years team have chosen themselves!" Derrick called up to Millicent and the boy who were circling around each other menacingly. Suddenly looks of realization that they didn't need to be the last person on their broom, but one of the last two crossed their faces and they lowered their brooms to where Derrick and Bole stood. Millicent hopped off of her broom and eagerly shook hands with both of the beaters. The boy was close behind her.

"So what are your names?" Derrick asked.

"Millicent Bulstrode," Millicent replied.

"Reed Portman," the boy said.

"WE WIN!!!!" came a victorious cry from the area around the field. Crabbe and Goyle flew from the trench around the field at astonishing rates of speed. Derrick looked at Bole and clamped his hand to his head. Crabbe and Goyle had been hiding the entire time and they were, in fact, the rightful beaters.

"I'm sorry Millicent and Reed, but it looks as though Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle are this years reserve beaters," Derrick said. He secretly marveled at the ingeniousness of their plan, only to realize that in all actuality, Draco had probably told them exactly what to do. 

%%%%%

Casey surveyed the 30 chaser hopefuls standing in front of him holding a various assortment of broomsticks. 

"Alright, for the tryouts for chaser, you will each go behind the broom shed one at a time with me. The two best kissers make the team and the three second best make the reserve team," he explained, raising his eyebrows suggestively at the group. Every guy in the group except for Blaise Zabini turned quickly and started walking back towards the castle.

"I didn't know you flew on that side of the pitch!" Casey said to Blaise, once all of the people who had left were out of earshot.

"I don't, but I want to play," Blaise responded, glaring evilly at Casey. 

"Well, okay, while I wouldn't mind snogging some of you here, that is a bit counter productive for right now. Maybe later when you're actually on the team. I just decided that would be a quick way to determine desire to play," Casey explained. The remaining group released the collective breath they had been holding since Casey made his announcement. 

"So I suppose we'll start with some flying exercises." He conjured five flaming hoops with his wand and sent them to space themselves across the field at regular intervals. "Now the object is to fly through the hoops as fast as you can."

"Easy enough," Blaise muttered under his breath.

"Easy enough, Zabini?" Casey asked. He flicked his wand at the hoops and they immediately began to grow and shrink in size, from Hagrid size hoops to hoops barely big enough for the Weasley fortune to fit through. The hoops changed randomly, and at their smallest size, a person was too big to fit through them.

"Now fly through them as fast as you can. Points taken off for burned robes or brooms. More points taken off for burned flesh," Casey said, smiling almost demonically at the group of hopefuls. 

A small fourth year with long straight black hair stepped forward, clasping a broom tightly in her right hand.

"Are you going first?" Casey asked.

"I will," she said with a fierce determination. 

"Don't suck," Casey replied. The girl shook her thick black bangs back from her face and mounted her broom. She kicked off and headed towards the first hoop, which wasn't much larger than a muggle hula-hoop. She ducked close to her broom and tucked her feet in closer before speeding through, narrowly missing the flames. 

"Who is that?" Casey asked the person standing closest to him.

"Finley Alexander. She's a fourth year," Taylor replied. Finley flew closer to the second hoop, which was at its smallest size. Finley only paused for a moment before flying straight towards it. Right before she entered the flames, the hoop sprang up large enough to allow her through unscathed. The third hoop was at its largest state, but again, she paused a moment before flying towards it. Right as her head passed through the hoop, it began to shrink. She put on an impressive burst of speed and the tail twigs of her broom barley escaped incineration. 

"Impressive," Casey muttered. He looked over at the rest of the chaser hopefuls, wondering if they were paying attention to Finley's flying. She had, in fact, just figured out the trick to the flaming hoops. If the person flew at them with enough determination and no fear, they wouldn't get burned. 

"So Blaise, what do you use to polish your broomstick?" Karen asked the lone boy in the crowd. She raised one eyebrow seductively at him and dragged a long green fingernail down across his knuckles and onto the handle of the Nimbus 2001 Blaise grasped tightly in his fist. 

Good, they weren't paying any attention to Finley whatsoever. In fact, he had missed her attempt at the fourth hoop. She wasn't flaming or smoking, so he assumed she had made it through untouched. She flew straight at the fifth hoop as fast as she could, and it sprang to its largest size to allow her to fly through easily. She looped back around the hoops and landed at the edge of the crowd near Casey. She hopped off of her broom and walked over to him.

"Was that alright?" She asked.

"Yeah," He muttered, trying not to let on that he thought that she had done quite good.

%%%%%

"Alright, everyone partner up," Draco barked at the group of seeker hopefuls using what he hoped was his best angry Snape voice. 

"What is this, potions class?" Keiran asked, smirking at his older brother. Draco spun around on his heel and gave his brother a stern glare. Keiran laughed nervously and then looked around the group for a partner. Draco turned his back from the group for a moment and busied himself with two buckets full of something. 

"Keiran, will you be my partner?" a tall brown haired boy asked the younger Malfoy brother. 

"What is your name?' Keiran asked, eyeing the boy suspiciously.

"Trevor," the boy replied.

"What is your surname?" Keiran continued, still eyeing the boy. The boy shifted nervously from one foot to the other.

"Nott," the boy replied, "Trevor Nott." Keiran instantly raced through his mental catalogue of pureblooded families and the name Nott appeared right in the N section. 

"Sure, you can be my partner," he said. The boy smiled broadly at him. 

"Alright, I want half of each pair to line up on this line and the other half on this one," Draco barked at the group. He pointed at two lines on the field. As the group split, he stepped over behind the buckets.

"Make sure you're directly across from your partner," Draco added. About three fourths of the people had to switch spots in their lines. 

"Why do you have eggs?" Keiran asked.

"We're going to see how well you lot can catch," Draco said in a menacingly quiet voice reserved for obnoxious little brothers. 

"With eggs?" Keiran asked incredulously. 

"Yes, Keiran, with eggs," Draco replied. He walked down one line and handed each person an egg. "Now you're going to throw the egg to your partner. If your egg breaks, you're out. The last group standing will then be tested for flying ability and the best person in that test will be the reserve seeker." Keiran waited for Trevor to toss him the egg.

"And you must stay on the lines." Draco added. "Just remember, soft hands. And don't suck." Trevor tossed the egg to Keiran and Keiran caught it easily. Draco flicked his wand at the lines on the ground and they began to move steadily backwards. He walked over, leaned up against the bottom of the tower containing the stands, and watched the group of players tossing their eggs back and forth. Then he looked over to his own little brother. Keiran had paused for a moment and taken his wand out of his pocket. He pointed it at the egg and muttered something. Then he put the wand back into his pocket and tossed the egg to Trevor. 

"I never said no unbreakable charms," Draco laughed to himself. He at least figured that's what his brother had done. It's what he would have done had he been trying out. Unfortunately for Keiran, the bought position on the team only worked for one Malfoy. Even Lucius didn't have gold to buy enough Firebolts for Keiran to make the team. Luckily enough for Keiran, Draco was judging the trial. 

%%%%%

"YOU'RE A WITCH! USE YOUR WAND!" Casey shouted at the girl hovering in mid air. She erupted with another blood curdling scream and just stared at the twigs of her broom. The fourth hoop had closed down on them and her broom was now shooting flames two meters into the air. 

"I think she's scared," Taylor said, almost lazily. The girl screamed again.

"She should be smart enough to use a water charm or something," Casey muttered. He began fumbling through his pockets for his own wand. Blaise Zabini beat him to the girl though, and extinguished the fire with a spray of icy water. The girl shakily returned to the ground without even attempting the fifth hoop.

%%%%%

"Welcome to Quidditch trials," Adrian Pucey began. The seventh year keeper had expected to be captain of the team, but instead, Casey was given the job. Needless to say, Adrian was bitter. 

"For your trial as keeper, you will each fly up in front of the goals with the quaffle. Then you will throw it at that git who gave the announcements at the beginning of the trials as hard as you can. If you get near him, he will probably throw the quaffle back at you. Then you will defend the goals from the quaffle he throws. The person who hits him or gets closest to hitting him and then defends the goals gets the position," Adrian explained. "In the case of a tie, you will go again until someone is eliminated." He tossed a quaffle to the boy nearest the goals.

"Don't suck." He called after the boy as the boy rose up in front of the goals. Then he stepped back to watch the progress of the trial.

%%%%%

The pairs of seeker hopefuls had been reduced to two; Keiran and Trevor, and two second year girls. Draco watched them carefully. They were standing half of the field away from each other and still tossing the eggs back and fourth. The girls had adopted a soft underhanded toss with a cradling catch. The boys, however, were throwing the egg over-handed as hard as they could. They had dropped the egg several times but thanks to Keiran's charm, it hadn't broken. 

%%%%%

"All right men," Casey said, looking around at the group of ragtag unscathed or slightly smoking, charred chaser hopefuls. 

"And women," Karen reminded him.

"And women," Casey repeated, "you've all done really well."

"Bloody Hell!" Finley screeched. She had almost been hit by a quaffle from the keeper tryouts.

"Hand that here," Casey told the third year who had picked up the offending red ball. The third year tossed it to Casey and Casey flung it back at the keeper hopeful who had thrown it. Instead of going to the keeper, it sailed through one of the open goals. 

"Alright Casey!" Finley laughed. Several of the other chasers clapped for him. 

%%%%%

"The next one of you who doesn't catch is out. The other is the reserve seeker," Draco announced to Keiran and Trevor. They were standing three fourths of the pitch away from each other. Draco had originally wanted to do some flying tests for the two remaining players, but his time was running out and Keiran's unbreakable charm had proved to be a lot more effective than it should have been. The pair of girls had just been eliminated when the one standing next to Trevor dropped the egg.

At Draco's announcement, Keiran took a quick look at the egg in his hand. He wiped it on his robe under the pretense of drying it off, but in reality he slipped his wand out of his pocket and rendered the egg breakable. No one noticed. He promptly drew back and threw the egg as hard as he could, straight at Draco. Draco wasn't expecting the egg to come in his direction, so he didn't try to catch it. It splattered across his Quidditch robe with a satisfying crack. 

"KEIRAN NIGEL MALFOY!" Draco screamed. He brushed his fingers over the sticky egg goop running down the front of his Quidditch robes. 

"Yes?" Keiran asked innocently.

"I should," Draco began.

"You should but you won't," Keiran replied, leveling a menacing glare on his older brother. 

"Congratulations to Keiran Malfoy for being the new reserve seeker," Draco said, running his fingers through the sticky egg again. Keiran smirked at all of the rest of the seeker hopefuls, who were all glaring at him and Draco. Trevor was especially mad because Keiran had basically cheated him out of a chance. 

%%%%%

"Can't you freaks aim any better than that?" Adrian asked after the seventh and next to last keeper hopeful had missed Casey by at least 10 meters. Blaise Zabini threw the ball back at the hopeful.

"Look at what the shit-faced whack job did to me!" Draco cried. He flew up behind Adrian. Adrian spun to look at the egg-covered seeker. 

"You could clean it up you know," Adrian suggested. The eighth and final hopeful threw a quaffle at Casey. This quaffle landed close enough to Casey that he picked it up and threw it back; only he didn't throw it at the keeper. He had realized after the sixth quaffle sailed his way that Adrian had set up the trials to involve him being a target. He decided to throw the quaffle as hard as he could at Adrian. Adrian ducked and the quaffle hit Draco directly in his chest. Draco swooped down and caught it as it fell towards the pitch. He instantly spun around and threw it directly at Casey's head. Casey made the mistake of turning his back to the keepers so he could watch the chasers more clearly. Draco's quaffle struck him directly in the back of his head.

"Quick, go defend the goals!" Adrian commanded. Draco flew over and pushed the seeker hopeful out of the way. Casey picked up the quaffle and slung it back at the goal on Draco's left. Draco easily caught it and tossed it to Adrian.

"Draco, we need to have a quick conference," Adrian exclaimed. Draco flew over to him.

"What's up?" Draco asked.

"Who is the reserve seeker?" Adrian queried.

"My brother," Draco replied.

"How good is he?" Adrian asked.

"He's actually fairly talented. And he's small and a first year, which is a good thing," Draco said.

"With a year of training would he be able to take your place?" Adrian asked.

"Probably," Draco replied, "And it might be better for the team because he is so small and quick. I'm sure father could buy him a Firebolt too," Draco replied. 

"Congratulations Draco, you're the reserve keeper!" Adrian said, shaking Draco's hand heartily. Draco's jaw dropped and he stared wide-eyed at the larger keeper.

"WHAT?" he asked.

"You're better than all of those gits," Adrian replied. "So you're the new reserve keeper."

"So I'll play keeper next year when you're gone?" Draco asked.

"Seems like it now doesn't it?" Adrian asked.

"EVERYONE GATHER OVER HERE! WE'RE ANNOUNCING THE TEAM!" Casey screamed from his end of the pitch. The keeper hopefuls and the two keepers flew over to him and landed. Draco and Adrian joined Bole, Derrick, and Casey at the front of the group. 

"I trust you guys have made your decisions?" Casey asked. Draco nodded and Adrian just scowled at Casey. 

"Alright, lets announce them," Casey said. He turned back to face the crowd.

"Thank you all for trying out!" Casey said, "We've finally made our decisions."

"Get on with it," Keiran insisted from the back of the crowd. 

"The three reserve chasers will be Debra Bulstrode, Karen Moon, and Taylor Nott." The three girls all smiled broadly at their peers, while everyone crowded around them just scowled. "The two starting chasers will be Blaise Zabini!" Blaise instantly did a back flip and Keiran attempted to kick his feet out from under him when he landed. "And Finley Alexander." Finley showed no expression, which brought appreciative smirks from those standing around her. Casey turned to look at Derrick and Bole.

"The reserve beaters are Crabbe and Goyle," Derrick said.

"Congratulations," Bole added.

"You didn't suck," Derrick finished with a laugh. Draco smirked at his goons. He figured they had done as he told them and hid in the trenches till everyone was off of their brooms. Crabbe and Goyle weren't necessarily intelligent enough to react to Derrick and Bole's announcement. Derrick and Bole turned to look at Draco.

"The reserve seeker is Keiran Malfoy," Draco said, glaring evilly at his little brother. Keiran glared down at his nose at all of the people gathered around.

"The reserve keeper is Draco Malfoy," Adrian announced, "Because unlike Crabbe and Goyle, all of you did suck." The keeper hopefuls glared at him.

"Alright. Thanks again for trying out. Maybe next year," Casey said. The group immediately dispersed and headed back towards the castle. Draco did a quick cleaning charm on the front of his robes and the sticky egg disappeared.

"Congratulations, Draco," a small female voice said as Draco was concentrating on cleaning his robes. Draco looked up to see Finley Alexander.

"Oh, thanks Finley," Draco replied, smirking at her. Draco didn't smile. Ever. 

"So will you be the keeper next year when Keiran is the seeker?" Finley asked.

"Something like that," Draco said. 

"Do you want to go celebrate?" Finley asked, raising her eyebrow suggestively at Draco. Draco made a mental note to elevate her status on the Hogsmeade list, which now contained sixth-year Ariadne Smith and a Hufflepuff seventh year. Elise something-or-the-other. Or maybe Eloise. At any rate, she was a definite no, as her nose was off-center. 

"Well, do you want to?" Finley asked, again raising her eyebrow. 

"Sure," Draco said. He flipped his broom over his left shoulder and offered her his right elbow. She placed her hand on his arm and they headed off towards the castle. 


	12. Chapter 12

I own tie-dye socks. I don't own the Harry Potter characters. Whoever owns the rights to the Buffy quotation I used owns the Buffy quotation I used. It's the one about the rodent man. 

Thanks to my beta and jarvey, Natalie.

I like reviews.

_Italics denote thoughts_

That being said:

*****

"So Astrid, how have your classes been?" Hermione asked the small girl seated on the couch next to her. Harry, Ron, Fred, George and Ginny had just returned from Quidditch practice and were leaping around the room in a very exuberant recount of some of the better moments of practice.

"Boring, really. Potions drives me crazy. I really don't like professor Snape. Herbology seems just about pointless. Transfiguration and Charms are alright."

"What about Defense and History of Magic?" Hermione asked.

"I would like to find the person responsible for the unfinished business that didn't let Professor Binns die and kill them with my bare hands," Astrid said through gritted teeth.

"Astrid, no offense, but I don't think you'd really be able to kill anyone with your bare hands," Hermione laughed. Astrid looked up at Hermione, raised her left eyebrow and smirked in an unnervingly Draco-esque way. Hermione put her hand over Astrid's eyes.

"Stop that!" she commanded, "You look like Malfoy." 

"I'M MELTING!!" Astrid squealed and writhed off of the couch onto the floor where she curled into a little ball and trembled violently. 

"Astrid, what are you doing?" Harry asked. He and Ron looked over the back of the couch to the little girl in the floor. 

"I'm melting," Astrid replied happily. She looked up from her "melting" and smiled sweetly at the two boys. 

"Why?" Ron asked.

"Hermione said I looked like Draco and then she clamped her hand over my eyes so I figured this would be a very Draco-like way to respond to being touched by someone he considers inferior," Astrid explained. Harry and Hermione both erupted with laughter, while Ron vaulted over the back of the couch and knelt next to Astrid. 

"You're not doing it right," he insisted.

"I'm not?" Astrid asked, looking up at the youngest Weasley boy. Harry and Hermione calmed their laughter and watched Ron and Astrid with interest. 

"No. First stand up," Ron instructed. Astrid uncurled herself from the floor and stood up. 

"Now you need the… the…." Ron searched for a way to describe the look Draco usually wore. Astrid contorted her small face into a very Draco-ish look.

"Like this?" Astrid asked. Ron took a look at the girl and then shuddered.

"Yes, just like that," He laughed. Astrid shot him a smirk Draco himself would have been proud of. 

"Okay, now put your hand to your face like you've just been slapped," Ron instructed. 

"You slapped Draco?" Astrid asked, looking at Hermione incredulously.

"Yes," Hermione replied, turning bright red.

"GO HERMIONE!" Astrid squealed. She jumped straight up in the air and clapped her hands several times as she squealed.

"The day Draco Malfoy does that, I will eat my broomstick," Harry said.

"What, say 'go Hermione'?" Ron asked.

"Or the jump, squeal, clap bit?" Hermione added.

"Both." Harry and Astrid both laughed. 

"Alright Astrid, so you need the look and the shocked expression," Ron said. Astrid instantly re-contorted her face and placed a pale hand on her equally pale face. 

"You need to sneer more," Harry advised.

"And your eyes need to be wider," Hermione added. Astrid heeded their instructions before dropping the Draco act all together.

"I thought of something!" she exclaimed. She pulled her wand from her pocket and ducked behind an overstuffed chair. Harry, Ron, and Hermione all exchanged a quizzical look, but before they could voice their questions, Astrid emerged from her hiding place. She had charmed her hair into a gelled-back mass, like Draco favored. She instantly went back into her Draco impersonation.

"Better?" She asked after a moment. Harry, Hermione, and Ron had all collapsed into uncontrollable laughter. 

"Whoa, who shrunk Malfoy and let him into our common room?" Fred asked as he walked up behind the sofa Hermione and Harry were sitting on. He easily jumped over it and slid in between Harry and Hermione. 

"It's just me," Astrid insisted. She pulled out her wand and muttered the counter charm, making her hair return to normal.

"You do a quite good impression of Malfoy," Fred commended her. She smiled sweetly at him.

"Thank you," she replied, "I would hope so. I have lived with him all of my life."

"Poor girl," George muttered. He plopped down on the couch on the other side of Hermione. Both he and Fred wrapped their arms around her shoulders.

"Okay boys, no playing Make Hermione Try to Guess Which Twin is Fred," Hermione scolded. Both of the twins laughed and Hermione just rolled her eyes. 

"May I have your attention please," a familiar, albeit out of place, voice called from the portrait hole. Everyone in the common room turned to look at Professor McGonagall, who had just stepped through the entrance into the room. Harry, Ron and Hermione all exchanged a nervous glance. McGonagall had only been in common room a handful of times previously, and never for a positive reason. 

"After careful deliberation, I have decided on this years Quidditch captain," McGonagall announced. Instantly, the Quidditch team, Astrid, and Hermione paid more attention to McGonagall while everyone else went back to their previous activities. 

"Congratulations Harry!" Fred exclaimed, before McGonagall could make her announcement. 

"Mr. Weasley, you're right," McGonagall said. Harry turned bright red and Ron clapped him on his back.

"Mr. Potter has many of the qualities desirable in a captain," McGonagall continued, "However, he will not be the captain this year." Fifteen open mouths and thirty wide eyes met her announcement. 

"It has been brought to my attention that there are a couple more likely candidates that need a bit of responsibility," McGonagall explained.

"CONGRATULATIONS ALICIA!" Fred cried. 

"Thanks Weasley, but I'm not sure I need anymore responsibility," Alicia laughed.

"Unlike someone we know," muttered Katie. 

"I heard that Katie Bell!" Fred insisted.

"It seems to me, Mr. Weasley, that you should take lessons on guessing from Miss Bell."

"You mean I'm Quidditch captain?" Fred asked. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped even farther. George immediately stared at his shoes.

"No," McGonagall replied, "If you could be quiet for a moment I could explain all of this." Hermione jerked an elbow into Fred's ribs. He rubbed the spot she hit him and looked at her with a pout only rivaled by a two year old in a toy store. She leaned over and placed her head softly on his shoulder. He rested his cheek on the top of her head. 

"Now. The Quidditch Captain for this years house team will be the Weasley twins!" McGonagall cried. George looked over at Fred. Fred jerked his head straight up and stared directly at George. 

"We're the captain!" George cried.

"OH NO!" Angelina cried. She dropped into the chair Astrid had hid behind with her head in her hands. 

"Professor McGonagall, with all due respect, I don't think you can do this to us," Ron joked. 

"She can!" George cried.

"And she did!" Fred added. McGonagall smiled at both of them.

"I'll be leaving you all to your celebrations now. Don't let it get out of hand, as you all have classes tomorrow," she said. With that, she turned and climbed back out of the portrait hole. 

"We're captain," Fred echoed George's statement at a slightly lower volume. 

"Yes you are," Hermione replied, "Congratulations." She looked up and smiled at Fred. Fred flashed a little half-smile in her direction. Then, before she could do anything, he used the arm wrapped around her shoulders to turn her to face him. Then he lowered his lips to hers. She pulled back a bit at his initial touch, but quickly laced her fingers through his short red hair and deepened the kiss. 

"Can we take points off for that?" Ron asked Harry, pointing at Fred and Hermione. 

"I think so," Harry replied. Hermione pulled away from Fred and glared at her friends.

"You take points off, you can say goodbye to the Inv- to the you-know-what that is so useful in pulling pranks," she threatened viciously. 

"Touché!" Harry cried. He jumped back from Hermione and threw his hands up in mock defeat. George and Angelina had taken a page out of Fred and Hermione's book and were standing off to the side "celebrating." Katie, Alicia and Ginny were gathered in a quiet discussion on exactly what having Weasley twins for a captain would mean. Hermione looked up at Fred and smiled again. He dropped a soft kiss on her forehead. Seamus, Dean and Neville had gone back to their game of Exploding Snap. Ron and Harry tried to pull Fred into another replay of some of the more exciting moments from practice in celebration of the captain announcement. No one really noticed Astrid sinking back into the overstuffed chair. She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Her knees provided a convenient rest for her chin and she stared wistfully into the fire, trying to ignore the twins' celebration. 

*****

"Goodnight Hermione, Congratulations again, Fred," Harry said.

"Yeah," Ron added. Hermione looked up from her conversation with Fred to her two best friends. She and Fred had been so absorbed in their conversation that they hadn't noticed the common room emptying. 

"Goodnight you guys," she said. She quickly scanned the common room to see who else was still up. It was empty. Harry shot Hermione a mischievous smile while Ron glared at Fred. Then both boys took off towards their dorm, taking the steps two at a time. 

"So, Miss Granger," Fred said, almost lazily. 

"Yes Mr. Weasley?" Hermione asked innocently. Fred draped his arm around her shoulder and leaned back on the couch. Hermione dropped her head lightly onto his shoulder. Both of them stared into the dying embers of the fire, immersed in their own thoughts.

_"I can't believe I'm sitting here with Fred Weasley!"_ Hermione thought. She was still trying to register the fact that Fred had become more than Ron's goofy older brother to her. Besides being undeniably sweet, she had found that Fred was a startlingly good conversationalist. Beneath his prankster attitude, Fred was actually intelligent and the two had become fond of just sitting in a corner of the common room and talking. He had walked her to most of her classes ever since the episode at potions almost a week before hand. He had also left a rose at her typical spot at the Gryffindor table Friday at dinner, exactly a week after their shared dances. 

Fred leaned his head over and rested his cheek on Hermione's. He inhaled deeply and the scent of her shampoo hit him full force. _"STRAWBERRIES!"_ He chuckled to himself into her hair. Hermione was undeniably the most unique girl he'd ever dated. He had gone for the cute girls, the athletic girls, and even, during the summer between fifth and sixth years, a fellow prankster, but never the bookworm. He was personally glad he finally had given in and decided to pursue whatever he had with Hermione. Every sweet gesture he had made towards her had been accepted with a child-like innocence and happiness he hadn't seen in the other girls he had dated, and he liked that. 

_"That kiss!"_ Hermione thought. True, the kiss she shared with Fred hadn't been her first. It had been their first, but not her first. It had definitely been great. The times she had kissed Victor, his nose had gotten in the way. Fred, however, was another story. His kiss had been perfect. Light, smooth, and cool, just the way a kiss should be, with no noses in the way.

Fred's arm was falling asleep because of the pressure Hermione had on it. He shifted to try to alleviate some of the tingling sensation, to no avail. Hermione became vaguely aware of him moving, so she sat up and turned to look at him.

"Are you okay?" she asked. 

"Yeah," Fred said. He stretched out lazily on the couch, his feet hanging off of one end and his head resting on pillows on the other. Hermione smiled sweetly at him before lying down on her side next to him with her back to him. She rested her head on a pillow next to his. He pillowed his cheek on the top of her head. She pulled her left hand up between her cheek and the pillow. He slipped his right hand over her side and rested it right on her stomach. She placed her hand over his and laced her fingers through his. He inhaled deeply. _"STRAWBERRIES!"_

"Hey Hermione?" Fred asked.

"Yes?" Hermione replied.

"I like you." Hermione was caught off guard by Fred's statement.

"I like you too," Hermione replied. Fred mentally kicked himself for being so blunt and not nearly as suave as he had been when he'd been practicing with George. He laughed to himself a little. 

"What so funny?" she asked. He dropped a kiss on her cheek, just in front of her ear. "Nothing."

"Oh," she replied. Her eyes fluttered closed.

"Hermione?" Fred asked again.

"Yeah?" She didn't open her eyes. 

"Will you be my girlfriend?" Fred asked. Hermione's eyes flew open.

"Yes," she replied sweetly. Her face turned bright red. Fred dropped another kiss on her cheek. She rolled over to lie on her back so she could see him. He instantly dropped a kiss on her lips. _"STRAWBERRIES!"_

"We should go upstairs now," he said, before dropping another kiss on her lips.

"We should," Hermione agreed. He kissed her again. 

"I don't want to," he said. She leaned up for the kiss this time.

"Neither do I, but we've got class tomorrow," she said. Their final kiss of the night was a little longer. 

"Goodnight," Fred said. He eased himself over Hermione and off of the couch.

"Night," Hermione replied. Fred headed off towards the seventh year boys dorm. Hermione pulled the Gryffindor blanket from the back of the couch and wrapped herself in it. The fire finally died out, but she didn't bother relighting it. She was too wrapped up in the fact that she finally had an official boyfriend. She was so wrapped up, in fact, that she didn't hear the door on the girls' side of the tower creak open and the small footsteps on the stairs. 

"Hermione?" Astrid asked, peering around the edge of the couch. Hermione looked up at the little girl, quite startled. 

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked. Astrid looked upset. 

"I had a bad dream," Astrid said. Hermione sat up and muttered a spell to make a fire spring up in the fireplace. She pulled Astrid over to sit next to her.

"What was it about?" Hermione asked.

"Lucius, and Draco," Astrid said. She stared into the purple flames of the fire. 

"Lucius and Draco?" Hermione questioned.

"Yeah," Astrid replied. Hermione didn't press the subject. She knew Astrid would talk when she was ready. 

"You know Barrett died because of Lucius and Draco," Astrid stated matter of factly. She shivered a little under her cloak. Hermione opened her blanket and threw a corner of it around Astrid. 

"No, I didn't know that." 

"Voldemort killed Barrett." Astrid said. Her gaze still hadn't broken from the fire.

"She said you died when you were six. He fell when I was a year old. I'm four years older than you. How did he manage to kill her?" Hermione asked.

"When I was six, you and Draco would have been ten, correct?" Astrid asked. She continued before Hermione could do the math. "I know you all were ten, because I remember it all too clearly. It was actually the summer before Draco began his first year, meaning Voldey had already inhabited Quirrell's body. So in all actuality, Quirrell was the one who killed Barrett, but he was acting under Voldemort's influence." 

"Of course," said Hermione. She shivered at the thought of Harry facing Voldemort alone when they had only been first years. 

"I- I don't think I can tell you anymore. Despite the fact that I hate him passionately, Lucius is still my father," Astrid said. A distraught look crossed her face and tears welled in her eyes. Hermione wrapped her arm around the smaller girls shoulders.

"It's alright, Astrid, I understand." Hermione attempted to comfort her.

"No, you don't. You couldn't. How could you understand what its like to lie awake at night listening to your oldest brother sob because your father has placed him under Cruciatus till he was almost dead. Listening to your own twin make plans for his reign after Voldemort falls. Listening to your mother explaining to your little sister for the millionth time why Barrett had to die, and knowing that she didn't have to at all?" Astrid asked. Tears flowed down her face, leaving salty paths illuminated in the firelight. 

"Cruciatus? Really?" Hermione asked quietly. She knew Draco's life at home wasn't exactly what anyone could call pleasant, but she had never imagined he'd gone through the Cruciatus curse.

"Of course. Lucius believes in tough love," Astrid said. "I hate my brother, I really do. Don't feel sorry for him at all, because he really is an arse. He is weak and quite spineless, and loves nothing more than to do Lucius's bidding."

"Oh don't worry, I'd figured that out a long time ago," Hermione almost laughed.

"No, it's really a lot worse than I can explain. You'll find out in due time I suppose," Astrid cried. Hermione used the edge of the blanket to wipe away a few of Astrid's tears. 

"Your twin plotting his reign after Voldemort falls?" Hermione queried. 

"You'll find out in due time," Astrid repeated. Hermione tightened her grip on the smaller girls shoulders and let her cry. 

*****

"Hermione," a soft voice right near Hermione's head whispered. Startled, Hermione sat straight up. She felt a soft hand on her shoulder and looked up into the face of her boyfriend.

"What are you doing in my room?" She asked dumbly. 

"You and Astrid fell asleep in the common room," Fred explained. The previous nights events flashed back to Hermione and she looked down to where Astrid had been sitting. She wasn't sitting there anymore.

"Where's Astrid? And what are you doing up?" She asked.

"I already carried Astrid up to her bed, and I'm up because I couldn't sleep and was going to go down to the kitchens to get something to drink," Fred said, "but not before I do this." He placed one strong arm across her back and looped the other under her knees. He picked her straight up off of the couch. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned her head on his shoulder. He easily carried her up to her dorm room and placed her softly on her bed.

"Goodnight," he whispered, dropping a kiss on her forehead, then her nose, and lastly her lips.

"Goodnight," she replied before she rolled over to face the wall and gathered the blankets to her chin. Fred quietly closed the hangings around her bed and slipped out of her room so he wouldn't wake Lavender and Parvati. 

*****

"Hermione, hurry up! We're going to be late for breakfast!" Harry called up the stairs to the girls' dorm. Hermione took one last look at herself in the mirror. Her hair was definitely bushier and she had dark circles under her eyes due to the very small amount of sleep she had gotten the night before, but she didn't really care. She grabbed her bag, slung it over her shoulder and ran from the room and down the stairs. Harry, Ron and Ginny were already waiting for her.

"Where are Astrid and the twins?" she asked.

"Astrid has already gone down to breakfast, and no one has seen Fred and George this morning, so who knows what they're up to," Ron replied. Hermione smiled broadly at her three friends.

"What happened between you and Fred last night?" Ginny immediately recognized the stupid look on Hermione's face as boy-induced. She wore the same expression most every time she thought about, got another letter from, talked to, or was with Braeden. Hermione's smile, if anything, grew. Ron and Harry started towards the portrait hole. Ginny rolled her eyes at the boys. She and Hermione had established that if the boys weren't thinking about Quidditch then they were thinking about girls, and if not about girls, then about food. 

"So what did my brother manage to do last night?" Ginny asked again.

"Your brother is now officially my boyfriend," Hermione replied, smiling sweetly at Ginny.

"Oh my goodness Hermione that's wonderful!" Ginny squealed. She jumped straight up in the air and clapped her hands together several times as she squealed. 

"Whoa girl, you're acting like Astrid," Hermione laughed.

"Sorry," Ginny said, "It's just that I'm excited my brother has finally gotten his act together." 

"Me too," Hermione laughed.

"Hey, if you marry Fred then you and I will be sisters!" Ginny squealed.

"Gin, don't get ahead of yourself there. Fred and I haven't even been together for a full day," Hermione reminded her friend. 

"I can dream, can't I?" Ginny asked. Before Hermione could reply, she continued rambling. "Truth be told, I always suspected you would end up with Ron, but George told me what happened between the two of you the first night we were back. I was slightly surprised."

"What about Ron?" Ron asked. He stopped dead in his tracks and turned to look at the two girls. 

"Fred and Hermione are finally official!" Ginny squealed. 

"Hermione, that's great!" Harry cried. He ran back and threw his arms around his friend.

"Yeah, that's great, but what does that have to do with Ron?" Ron asked again. 

"Nothing," Ginny replied. She grabbed her brother by his elbow and started pulling him towards the Great Hall. Harry and Hermione hurried close behind them. 

"So what does that have to do with Ron?" Harry asked quietly. 

"She was just telling me how she'd always expected me and Ron to get together, rather than me and Fred," Hermione whispered. Harry caught the door of the Great Hall from Ginny and held it open to allow Hermione through. Fred and George already occupied their usual seats at the table. Astrid sat alone at the relatively empty end of the table closest to the head table. Harry, Ron and Ginny all took seats across from the twins. Hermione sat at the seat directly between them. A single red rose lay across her plate. At the sight of it, she turned a planted a kiss squarely on Fred's cheek.

"Uh, Hermione?" Fred asked.

"Yeah?" Hermione replied.

"I'm George, that one's Fred," Fred replied.

"Fredrick Bayard Weasley!" Ron, Ginny and George all shouted. Fred's ears went red and he looked down at his plate.

"Not funny, Fred," Hermione said, slapping him playfully on his shoulder.

"Where is Astrid?" Ron asked.

"Down there," George said, pointing to where the small girl sat, alone.

"So the search for friends her age continues," Ginny mused. 

"Evidently," Harry laughed. The previous nights conversation flashed back to Hermione.

"Guys, I need to talk to you two later," she insisted. Harry and Ron both looked at her. She nodded in Astrid's direction. Ron looked down at their younger friend and Harry looked at Hermione with a raised eyebrow. Then he flashed a very pointed look in the direction of the Slytherin table. Hermione nodded as she wiped her mouth on a napkin. Harry nodded too, understanding what their unspoken conversation had told them. 

"So when is our first Quidditch practice, captain?" Ron asked his brothers. 

"Tonight," Fred and George replied at the same time. 

%%%%%

"I'm not sitting next to the Malfoy," Karey Finnegan declared, glaring at Astrid, "Evelyn you sit next to her."

"Make me," Evelyn Creevey squeaked.

"I'm not going to," Madeline O'Conner insisted. She looked down the end of her nose at Astrid. Astrid sat in her seat at the Gryffindor table and calmly munched on her eggs and bacon, trying to look completely uninterested in what the other first years were saying. 

"I might get sick if I sit next to the Malfoy," Hailey cried. Astrid looked calmly up at the girls.

"I don't bite," She smiled sweetly and then looked back to her food. "Often" she added as almost an afterthought.

"Hey Astrid, how's it going?" A small boy with blonde hair asked as he took the seat next to Astrid at the table.

"It's going, Dennis. These gits think I've got some sort of disease and they won't sit down," Astrid told the one person younger than Ginny Weasley who had voluntarily talked to her so far. She glanced in the first year girls' direction. Dennis looked at them also.

"Evelyn Nicole Creevey! I am ashamed of you! You've lived with Colin Creevey all of your life and you can't even be nice to Astrid? She's way more normal than Colin!" Dennis exclaimed. Evelyn turned bright red and instantly sat down in a seat. Her companions followed suit, as Dennis had solved the problem of who was going to sit next to Astrid. 

"Geeze, Evie, your brother is mean!" Karey hissed under her breath.

"Nah. Dennis is usually pretty cool. Colin is a little odd though," Evelyn laughed. Dennis glared at her and she silenced her conversation.

%%%%%

"Hey lookit, Astrid's making a friend," Ron said. He pointed down the table to where Astrid and Dennis were consumed in conversation. Harry, Hermione, Fred, George and Ginny all turned to look at the two.

"Aww how cute," Hermione gushed.

"Ooh wait, this is the part where you go into over-protective big brother mode and threaten to chop out his pancreas with a spork, right?" Ginny asked Ron. Ron looked at his little sister with a repulsed look on his face.

"Why would I do that?" he asked.

"Its' what you've done to every guy that's ever gotten close to me," Ginny said.

"And me," Hermione added.

"Actually, he didn't threaten to chop my pancreas out," Fred quipped. He had turned slightly green at the thought of Ron's actual threat. 

"Malfoy would kill us all if I stood up for his little sister any more than I already have," Ron explained.

"You're right," Harry said.

"For once," George muttered. 

"What was that?" Ron asked.

"Nothing," George mumbled more to his toast than to Ron. 

"We've got Care of Magical Creatures first this morning," Hermione grumbled. Fred carefully laced his fingers through hers.

"I've got Divination first," he said.

"I know," Hermione replied.

"So I'll see you at lunch?" Fred asked.

"Of course," Hermione said. Fred leaned over and dropped a kiss on her cheek and then on her forehead.

"Bye," he said.

"See you," Hermione replied. Fred stood up and headed out of the Great Hall. George followed him, still gnawing on a piece of toast. 

"Hagrid's?" Harry asked, as more of a statement than a question.

"Hagrid's," agreed Ron. 

%%%%%

"Save me a seat at lunch, will you?" Dennis asked. The remains of his breakfast disappeared from his gold plate. 

"Sure," Astrid replied with a small smile.

"Well, I've got to run, Snape will eat me if I'm late for class," Dennis said. He grabbed his bag and turned to leave the great hall. 

"Quite the contrary, Mr. Creevey," came Snape's icy voice, "I do not make a practice of cannibalism. 10 points from Gryffindor." Dennis made a small "eep" sound in the back of his throat and looked at Astrid, wide-eyed. Astrid instantly looked down to her half eaten breakfast and tried to suppress a laugh. 

*****

"What do you think we're studying today?" Ron asked. The three friends were standing outside of Hagrid's hut waiting for their class to start. 

"Erumpents," Neville guessed. 

"What?" Ron and Harry both asked. 

"Its one of the few hairy-scary creatures Hagrid hasn't sprung on us," Neville replied, logically. 

"Unless he's been crossbreeding even scarier things again," Seamus shuddered.

"I think he learned his lesson with the Skrewts," Dean said.

"Correction," Hermione replied, "you hope he learned his lesson with the Skrewts."

"Something to that effect," Dean rolled his eyes down at Hermione. 

"Nifflers would be fun," Ron said. 

"You just want more chocolate," Harry chided. Ron scowled at him.

"Have you been taking lessons from Astrid?" Hermione asked. She and Harry both laughed. Ron continued to scowl at them both.

"You're just not quite as good as she is," Harry laughed.

"Of course not, I haven't lived with the great git all of my life. Thank goodness," Ron dropped his scowl and smiled. 

"What was that about my sister, mudblood?" Malfoy asked from just behind the Gryffindor fifth years. Hermione turned coolly to face Malfoy.

"Attention, class!" Hagrid called, emerging from his hut with a bucket in his hand. Hermione turned away from Malfoy, and Malfoy and his two goons went to join the rest of the Slytherin fifth years.

"Terday, ye'll be studyin' Jarveys," Hagrid said, "So who can tell me what a Jarvey is?" Hermione's hand, as usual, shot into the air. 

"Hermione?" Hagrid asked.

"A Jarvey is an animal that closely resembles a ferret, only larger. They have the power of speech, but only speak rude or insulting phrases," Hermione answered.

"Absolutely right," Hagrid said, beaming at Hermione from under his beard. Harry and Ron both began coughing. 

"All right boys?" Hagrid asked. They both wiped their mouths and nodded at him. Everyone standing around them had to stifle their laughter, as the boys' coughing had sounded suspiciously like "Malfoy!" 

"Right then. I've got the Jarveys around back, so if yeh'll split yerselves in ta groups of three we'll go back there and meet 'em," Hagrid said. Hermione looked at Ron and Harry, who were both looking back at her. 

"Hey guys, can I be with you?" they heard Lavender ask Dean and Seamus. 

"Sure," they agreed, and Neville looked hopefully at Parvati, who nodded in acceptance. 

"Um, Parvati is it?" an unfamiliar male voice asked. All of the Gryffindors turned to face Blaise Zabini.

"Yes," Parvati replied coldly.

"Could I be with you and Neville?" Blaise asked.

"Sure," Parvati agreed, albeit rather uneasily. 

"Thanks. I didn't particularly want to deal with Karen and Taylor," Blaise confided. He glanced back over his shoulder to the two fuming girls. Parvati laughed nervously and Neville looked absolutely petrified at the though of willingly working with a Slytherin.

"Alright then, follow me," Hagrid instructed. The fifth year Gryffindors and Slytherins followed Hagrid around the edge of the hut into the pumpkin patch.

"Each group chose a jarvey and spend the period talking to it." Hermione pulled Ron and Harry over to a jarvey tethered to the farthest post on the fence.

"Oi Hermione, that'n is nasty."

"Who are you calling nasty you overgrow oaf?" the jarvey yelled. Hermione looked at Ron and Harry and rolled her eyes. 

"What do you three maggots want?" the jarvey asked as the three friends approached. 

"You smell like GOAT CHEESE!" A jarvey from across the field screeched. The three friends instantly turned to see who the insult was direct at. Malfoy stood with his arms crossed defiantly across his chest, glaring at the furry little animal. Harry, Hermione and Ron all erupted in laughter at the look on Malfoy's face. 

"So what did you want to talk to us about?" Harry asked.

"Why would she want to talk to you, scar face?" the jarvey asked.

"Shove off," Ron commanded. The jarvey looked particularly offended.

"Make me you big-eared freckled freak," the jarvey commanded. Ron pulled out his wand and pointed it at the animal. 

"I'll be quiet if you'll put the wand away," the jarvey offered. Ron repocketed his wand.

"Psych!" the jarvey cried.

"Where are you from?" Hermione asked the jarvey.

"What's it to you, frizz-head?' the jarvey asked. Hermione rolled her eyes and put her back to the jarvey.

"So what did you want to talk to us about?" Harry repeated. 

"MUDBLOOD!" Malfoy's jarvey cried. Hermione, Harry, and Ron almost fell over because they turned around so fast to see Malfoy's reaction. He had both hands wrapped around the jarvey's neck. Crabbe and Goyle were trying to pull him away from it.

"Ferrety one, he is," the jarvey laughed.

"Who, the other jarvey?" Hermione asked.

"No, the blond baboon choking my brother," the jarvey said.

"Your brother?" Harry asked.

"Yes. My brother. Moron," the jarvey spat. Ron turned around and glared at the jarvey.

"Is there anything you would particularly like to eat?" Harry asked the jarvey.

"A garden gnome might be tasty," the jarvey admitted.

"If you'll randomly scream an insult every minute or so to make it look like we're talking to you, I'll get you a garden gnome brought down here before dinner tonight," Harry promised.

"Make it three," the jarvey said.

"No problem," Harry replied. 

"Okay, so what did you want to talk to us about?" Ron asked Hermione. Hermione sat down on the grass next to the jarvey.

"WHACK JOB!" the jarvey cried. Ron and Harry sank down next to her. 

"I had a conversation with Astrid last night," Hermione began.

"I thought you were talking to Fred," Ron interrupted.

"Fred went upstairs and I was sitting in the common room for a few more minutes when Astrid came downstairs because she had had a bad dream," Hermione explained.

"YELLOW-BELLIED SAP SUCKER!" 

"What was it about?" Harry asked, casting an annoyed glance in the jarvey's direction. 

"All she said was Lucius and Draco," Hermione replied.

"Lucius and Draco?' Ron queried.

"Yes. She didn't offer any more detail," Hermione said.

"NASTY LITTLE HORRID BIGOTED RODENT MAN!"

"Did she say anything else interesting?" Harry asked.

"Evidently Barrett was killed by Quirrell when Voldemort was inhabiting Quirrell's body," Hermione said, raising her eyebrows mysteriously at the boys. 

"Really?" Harry asked.

"Who is Barrett again?" Ron questioned.

"SNOTTY MIDGET OF A RAT BASTARD!"

"Barrett is the mysterious baby sister that got killed when she was six months old," Hermione explained.

"How old was Astrid when the baby got killed?" Harry asked.

"It seems that she was six, almost seven," Hermione replied.

"Which would have made Draco," began Ron.

"Ten, almost eleven," Hermione answered before he could finish asking his question. 

"CAT BARF-SCENTED FLOBBERWORM!"

"Did she say anything else interesting?" Harry asked.

"I believe the most intriguing bit of everything she said was a mention of Keiran having a reign after Voldemort," Hermione said. 

"What?" Harry asked.

"Does that mean Voldemort has a heir?' Ron asked.

"Couldn't be," Harry replied.

"Why not?" Ron asked.

"His goal is immortality, not legacy. Besides, if he did have a heir, it would be Malfoy, not little Malfoy," Harry reasoned.

"What makes you think that?" Ron questioned.

"Malfoy is the oldest. Why would he pick Keiran?" Harry replied.

"PUTRID PUSTULE!"

"Good point," Ron relented. 

"What else did she say?" Harry asked.

"She mentioned Lucius putting Cruciatus on Draco," Hermione whispered.

"What?" Ron asked. Harry visibly shuddered. Hermione reached over and placed a hand reassuringly on his arm.

"That's not legal!" Ron exclaimed.

"Muggles like to call it child abuse," Hermione said.

"But they're not muggle," Ron said, shaking his head in amazement. Harry remained silent.

"You're right," Hermione replied.

"BANDERSNATCH!"

"You've read "Jabberwocky"?" Hermione asked the jarvey.

"They wrote something about that bastard?" the jarvey asked. Hermione laughed and turned back to the boys.

"So Draco's been subjected to that curse," Harry said finally. 

"Yes," Hermione replied, "multiple times from what I understand."

"Anything else?" Ron asked.

"Not really. The reign thing is what distressed me the most," Hermione confided.

"It is rather interesting," Harry agreed. He scratched his chin and looked thoughtfully over at the Forbidden Forest. 

"Time's up class! Head up to Herbology!" Hagrid shouted from his position right at his cabin.

"Thanks," Harry told the jarvey.

"FOUR EYED SCAR FACED COWARD!" the jarvey screeched.

"Not a problem. Get me the gnomes," it said at a normal volume level. 

"Will do," Ron said. The three friends started towards the castle.

"How do you plan on getting garden gnomes?" Hermione asked.

"I'll ask Dobby," Harry laughed. Ron and Hermione both laughed with Harry and all three tried to push Hermione's revelation about Astrid's brothers to the farthest recesses of their minds. 


	13. Chapter 13

I don't own much of anything at all in this chapter. JKR and several other people do.

House points to the first person to catch all five literature/pop culture references and leave me a review about them. Good luck.

Ron, FRED, **Harry**, _denotes thoughts and dreams._

Thanks to my beta, Natalie.

Thanks to all who have reviewed so far.

That being said:

*****

"So what do you think we're doing today?" Ron asked from his seat next to Hermione in Transfiguration. 

"She mentioned something about O.W.L. reviews during the last class," Hermione replied looking over at her friend. Harry spun around to face the two of them from his seat in front of Hermione and next to Neville. 

"I hope it's not the button thing again," Harry laughed.

"Oh why?" Hermione asked.

"Just because you had enough buttons for every pair of trousers in the castle doesn't mean the rest of us were that successful," Ron chided.

"That's why you need to review," Hermione scolded. Ron stuck out his tongue at her.

"Really mature Ron, really mature," Hermione laughed. Harry rolled his eyes and turned back to face the front of the room.

"Good morning, class," Professor McGonagall said. Ron pulled his tongue back in his mouth and sat up straight on the pretense of paying attention. 

"Today, as I mentioned at the end of our last meeting, we will begin reviewing for your O.W.L. examinations," McGonagall announced. Ron smirked down at Hermione. Hermione managed a small eye-roll before returning to the lesson. 

"You will take your O.W.L. examinations at the end of this year, so between now and then, we will devote every third class to reviewing material from your first four years." Only Hermione looked excited at the prospect of such a review schedule. 

"Today's lesson will be a practical one. You will only need your wands," McGonagall said. Everyone made a mad scramble to shove their books into their book bags.

"Today, you will be changing a spoon into a fork." Professor McGonagall held up a fork for everyone to see. "So if you will each come up here and collect a spoon, you may begin." The fifth year Gryffindors slowly went up to McGonagall and collected their spoons. "Mr. Potter, may I have a word with you?" Harry picked a spoon out of the pile and stepped over to Professor McGonagall.

"Yes Professor?" He asked.

"I had an interesting conversation with Professor Dumbledore the other day and we came to a general consensus about this lesson. If and after you change three spoons into forks, I would like you to try to change a fourth."

"Okay," Harry said, slightly puzzled at her directions.

"Without your wand," Professor McGonagall amended. Harry looked at her nervously.

"Professor Dumbledore told me about your unfortunate incident with Professor Snape the other day," McGonagall explained. Harry was almost sure he saw a smirk flash quickly across Professor McGonagall's face. McGonagall, however, didn't make fun of the misfortune of other professors. 

"So I try it wandless then?" Harry asked, mostly for clarification.

"Yes. Good luck," Professor McGonagall said. Harry took his spoon back to his desk and pulled out his wand. Hermione had already transfigured her first fork and was headed back to McGonagall for another spoon. Ron had managed to flatten the spoon into an oval-shaped metal disk attached to the handle of the fork. Neville's spoon had sprouted the very beginnings of tines. Harry placed his spoon on his desk and pulled his wand out of his pocket. He pointed it at the spoon, muttered a series of spells to turn it to a fork, and flicked the tip of the wand at it. The spoon silently morphed into a fork. Harry picked the fork up and looked back at Hermione with a beaming smile on his face. Hermione transfigured her third fork perfectly. She picked up all three and waved them at Harry with a grin on her face. Ron had finally created tines on his fork and was working to change the excess metal around the edges to complete the shape of the fork. Harry and Hermione both walked up to Professor McGonagall. McGonagall handed each of them two spoons apiece.

"Think you're as good as me, do you Potter?" Hermione joked as they walked back towards their seats. 

"Yeah Granger," Harry laughed. He took his seat next to Neville. He could hear Hermione behind him talking herself through the proper spells to transfigure both spoons at once. Ron jumped from his seat and headed towards McGonagall for another spoon. Neville's spoon hadn't changed anymore since the miniature tines he caused it to sprout. Harry quickly transfigured one of his spoons and started on the next, but Hermione, with her modified spells, was faster. She was on her way back to her desk with more spoons when Harry completed his second and started to take all three forks up to McGonagall for inspection. McGonagall deemed all three forks good enough to hand him his fourth spoon. He took it back to his desk and waved it in Hermione's face.

"What's that Potter, your fourth? I just finished my seventh!" Hermione laughed. Harry shrugged and slipped his wand in his pocket. Hermione had started taking her forks up to McGonagall to collect more spoons, so she didn't notice his move. Harry picked up the spoon and held it in both hands. He closed his eyes and began imagining the spoon as a fork. 

"You know Potter, that spoon isn't going to transfigure itself. You need to put it on your desk and actually point your wand at it," Hermione joked as she walked by him in returning to her seat. Harry tried not to break his visualization of the spoon as a fork, but Hermione's comment threw him off. He opened his eyes and looked at the spoon. It hadn't changed at all. 

"Hermione, he's trying the wandless magic thing we told you about!" Ron hissed. Neville turned around to look at Ron, open-mouthed.

"Hush Neville. Don't broadcast it until he actually does it," Hermione scolded, in case Neville had planned on saying anything. Harry closed his hands around the spoon again and imagined a fork lying in his hands. This time, he felt the spoon beginning to change in his hands, but Dean fell into him as he and Seamus raced back to their seats. Evidently, Dean and Seamus had the same type of competition that Harry and Hermione had. When Dean fell, Harry's eyes flew open and he lost his concentration, causing the spoon to quit changing. Dean didn't realize Harry was actually attempting to do wandless magic, so he jumped into his seat and set off transfiguring his second spoon. Seamus was also on his second. Harry closed his hands around the spoon and, for the third time, began imagining it as a fork. He didn't realize it, but Hermione got out of her desk and stood next to him so that anyone falling towards him would hit her first and she could act as a human shield. For the second time, Harry felt the spoon begin to change in his hands. The spoon portion flattened out and lengthened. Then it split into four distinct parts. The handle also lengthened and thinned a bit. When the spoon/fork finished moving, Harry opened his eyes and uncurled his hands from around the fork. He held it up to Ron, Hermione and Neville who were all watching intently.

"You did it!" Ron cried.

"Way to go Harry!" Hermione squealed. She jumped straight up in the air and clapped her hands together as she squealed.

"And you're talking about Ginny acting like Astrid?" Ron asked. Hermione stopped jumping and glared at him.

"Shove it Weasley," she said, smacking him lightly on his shoulder.

"Mr. Potter, did it work?" Professor McGonagall asked. Harry held up the fork to her. 

"Very good Mr. Potter, I shall tell Professor Dumbledore of your success." Professor McGonagall said, before she was almost knocked over by Dean and Seamus rushing to the front of the class for more spoons. "Would you like to try another?"

"Okay," Harry agreed.

"Professor McGonagall?" Hermione asked. 

"Yes Miss Granger?" Professor McGonagall replied. Hermione held up two handfuls of perfect forks.

"May I try to transfigure one without my wand?" Hermione asked. Professor McGonagall picked up two spoons from her desk and handed one to Hermione and one to Harry.

"So how exactly do you do this?" Hermione asked Harry, looking at the spoon in her hand. 

"Figure out for yourself, you must," Harry said, shooting Hermione a half smile. Ron, Hermione, Seamus and Dean all burst into laughter, ignoring the quizzical looks from their professor and classmates. 

"Muggle movie," Harry explained with a smile. He wrapped his hands around the spoon and closed his eyes again, hoping to transfigure the fork faster this time. As Hermione, Ron, Seamus and Dean were all still laughing, he managed to direct his thought at the spoon with considerably less interruption. He could tune out the noise but people falling into his shoulder was considerably more difficult to ignore. He closed his eyes and envisioned the spoon as a fork. He felt the familiar change in his hand and in a matter of moments, he held a fork where the spoon had been. He held it up triumphantly to Professor McGonagall.

"It seems, Mr. Potter, that you can indeed do a bit of wandless transfiguration," Professor McGonagall said, gracing him with one of her usual tight-lipped smiles. "Take 15 points for Gryffindor. And Miss Granger, it seems as though you made several of your spells plural?"

"Yes ma'am," Hermione replied.

"Take 10 points for Gryffindor," Professor McGonagall said.

"Thank you, Professor." Hermione looked down at the spoon in her hands. "Now Harry, how do I do this?" 

"I really don't know. Close your eyes and concentrate," Harry said. 

"A lot of help you are," Hermione laughed.

"Don't worry, Hermione, I'm sure you can find a book in the library that explains wandless magic," Ron quipped. Hermione turned and glared at Ron. 

"Did you ever do any accidental magic as a child?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"Yes," Hermione replied.

"She did this one bit in church where she banished her," Ron began.

"RON WEASLEY!" Hermione cried before Ron could finish his sentence. "For your information, the church bit was done completely magic free." Ron turned bright red and Harry couldn't suppress his laughter. 

"Miss Granger?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"I did some accidental magic as a child. After I read _Matilda_ I discovered that if I concentrated hard enough, I could make my books fly across my room," Hermione said.

"Did you ever try to press your navel for invisibility?" Dean Thomas asked. His comment received more than one raised eyebrow from his classmates.

"I tried but that one didn't work," Hermione replied. 

"For me either," Dean replied. Hermione noticed the odd looks, but refrained from explaining. 

"You know, you would use your accidental magic to summon books," Ron laughed. Hermione glared at him.

"So if you concentrated to make the books fly, wouldn't you use the same concentration to transfigure the spoon?' Harry asked logically.

"Good point, Harry," Hermione replied. She clasped the spoon tightly in her hands and closed her eyes. Everyone gathered around stared at her intently. Before she opened her eyes, her hands opened and the spoon floated lazily across the room. 

"Miss Granger?" Professor McGonagall asked. Hermione opened her eyes and looked at the older witch.

"Did I do it?" She asked.

"Not quite," Harry replied. The spoon clattered to the floor and he picked it up.

"Evidently the channeling of your magic you taught yourself as a child is only allowing you to make objects fly at this point," Professor McGonagall attempted to explain. Hermione rubbed her temples with her pointer fingers.

"That and it gives me a headache," she said, looking down at her desk.

"With a little more practice, that should stop happening," McGonagall said. Ron patted her on her back.

"At least you can do it." He said.

"Professor McGonagall?" Neville asked.

"Yes Neville?"

"What is wrong with this thing?" He held up his barely transfigured spoon to the professor.

"Ah, Neville, you have made a very common mistake," Professor McGonagall said, taking the spoon/fork from Neville. She held it up for everyone to see.

"He made a spork!" Seamus cried. 

"Yes Seamus, this utensil is now known as a spork. In 1939, an American wizard by the name of Varian Sanders was eating a chicken dinner. He had eaten all of his potatoes with a spoon, and needed a fork for his chicken. However, he didn't have a fork. He decided to transfigure his spoon into a fork," Professor McGonagall explained. "And Neville, can you tell me where he went wrong?"

"Did he try to transfigure the tines first?" Neville guessed.

"Yes. To properly transfigure a fork from a spoon, you must first flatten the spoon then transfigure the tines in, rather than the other way around. If you try to create the tines first, the spoon is stuck in its curved shape and will not allow full tines to develop," Professor McGonagall explained.

"So what happened to Varian Sanders?" Seamus asked. 

"He named his creation spork' and his brother stole it and made a fortune," Professor McGonagall said. 

"I thought," began Dean.

"He made a fortune from the spork, Mr. Thomas," McGonagall cut Dean off mid sentence. Harry took another spoon from McGonagall's desk and clasped it in both hands. He closed his eyes and began the transfiguration process for the third time. 

"Show off," Ron muttered.

"Why don't you try it?" Hermione suggested. 

"Professor McGonagall, may I try to transfigure a spoon without my wand?" Ron asked. He held up four wand-transfigured forks for her to see. 

"I suppose all of you but Neville may try," Professor McGonagall announced. Everyone in the class except Neville had transfigured at least three forks with their wands.

"May I try another with my wand?" Neville asked.

"Yes," Professor McGonagall replied. She summoned a spoon from her desk and handed it to him. Everyone else walked to the desk and chose spoons. 

*****

"Did anyone have any success?" Professor McGonagall asked. Since the advent of Harry's wandless magic, they had all sat quietly in their desks attempting to transfigure spoons without their wands. Hermione pointed to a large pile of forks on her desk.

"Did any one have any luck wandless?" McGonagall amended her statement. Harry held up six forks. 

"Anyone besides Mr. Potter?" McGonagall deadpanned. "Anyone… Anyone?" 

"Very well then. Your homework for the next class is a parchment-long essay on the ethics of transfiguring animate objects into inanimate objects," McGonagall said, "And Miss Granger?"

"Yes?" Hermione asked.

"You have the pleasure of informing Slytherin house what happened to their spoons." McGonagall said as she walked out of the room. Hermione's jaw dropped and her eyes opened wide. Ron and Harry exchanged incredulous glances.

"I think McGonagall actually just made a joke!" Ron exclaimed. 

"What am I going to do with all of these forks?" Hermione asked.

"You shouldn't have made so many," Harry scolded.

"Christmas presents?" Ron asked. All three friends laughed. Hermione scraped the pile of silverware into her bag and they all headed towards the Great Hall for Lunch. 

"Hi guys!" a small voice called from behind the three friends. They all spun to see Astrid walking towards them with Dennis Creevey. 

"Hey Astrid," Hermione replied. Ron and Harry waved at her.

"Which class did you guys just have?" She asked.

"Transfiguration," Harry replied.

"Really? I have that on Mondays. We were transfiguring spoons into forks. It was quite difficult."

"Don't worry about that Astrid, we've got the two masters on that right here," Ron laughed, clapping Harry on his back and smiling at Hermione.

"What?" Astrid asked.

"We started reviewing for O.W.L.'s today and we did the spoon to fork transfiguration as our first review," Hermione explained. 

"How did you guys do?" Dennis asked.

"Hermione has enough forks in her bag for everyone in Gryffindor tower to have two, and Harry can actually transfigure a fork without his wand!" Ron exclaimed.

"Ron. Don't say that so loud," Astrid scolded. Ron looked down at the little girl and she looked back at him with a very serious expression on her small face.

"All I'm saying is that Harry's wandless magic could possible be more beneficial to him if the whole world didn't know he could do it." Astrid reasoned.

"Are you saying there is someone in this castle that could get me in trouble for being able to do wandless magic?" Harry asked.

"Not necessarily in trouble," Astrid said, "But don't you think an element of surprise is important in situations where wandless magic could prove to be the most useful?"

"You're right," Harry said. He reached over and messed up the little girls hair. 

"Hands off the hair!" Astrid squealed, smacking his hands away from her head. Ron, Harry and Hermione all laughed at her. Ron pulled open the door to the Great Hall and allowed his friends to pass through before he entered. Ginny, Fred and George were already in their usual seats at the Gryffindor table. Dennis and Astrid went to the spot at the other end of the table they had claimed as their own, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione took their seats around the remaining Weasley siblings.

"I missed you!" Fred whispered as soon as Hermione sat down. He dropped a kiss on her cheek, eliciting a loud "AWW!" from Ginny and gagging noises from Harry and Ron. George seemed more occupied with something near the ceiling. 

"Ginny, look!" He said, pointing upwards. Fred and Ginny both looked to where he was pointing. A lone owl circled high above the Gryffindor table.

"ARGUS!" Fred and George both cried.

"BRAEDEN!" Ginny squealed.

"No, that's definitely Argus," Ron quipped.

"10 points from Gryffindor, Misters Weasley, for disrespecting a staff member," Snape spat from just behind Harry and Ron. 

"But," Began George

"We didn't" Continued Fred.

"Professor Snape. I believe the owl's name is Argus," Dumbledore explained from his position at the head table. Snape raised an eyebrow at the twins.

"His name is Argus Without Whom We Would Have Never Gotten So Many Detentions," Fred provided. George untied the letter from the owl and handed it to Ginny. He fed the owl a crust of bread from his plate and the owl headed off towards the owlery. 

"Braeden?" Ron asked his little sister. Ginny, immersed in her letter, didn't pay attention to him. Harry peeked over the edge of the letter and nodded at Ron. Ron, George, and Fred all instantly rolled their eyes.

"You know, it's really nice to know that we bought an owl solely for her to send back and forth to France," George laughed.

"They use his owl too!" Hermione defended her friend and her cousin.

"My bloody point exactly!" George exclaimed.

"Why do they need two owls?" Fred asked.

"They really like each other," Hermione explained.

"I really like you, but I don't see the need to owl you twice a day every day!" Fred exclaimed. 

"Would you if I lived in France?" Hermione asked. No one noticed the collective held breath from George, Harry, and Ron. None of the boys trusted Fred's ability answer Hermione's question correctly.

"No," Fred replied. The other three boys inhaled more. Ron and Harry exchanged a panicked glance. Hermione's happy expression began morphing to an angry one.

"Twice a day simply wouldn't be enough," Fred finished smoothly, dropping a kiss on Hermione's forehead. George, Ron, and Harry all exhaled loudly. A broad grin broke across Hermione's face and she leaned her head on Fred's shoulder.

"You're too sweet," she laughed. Fred smiled across the top of her head at George. George rolled his eyes at his brother. 

"Braeden made the school team!" Ginny exclaimed, looking up from her letter. She folded it and placed it next to her plate. Ron put a hand on either side of her face and pulled her face to his. He peered into her left eye with his right, leaving only about 10 centimeters of space between their faces?

"Won! Whadder you doin'?" Ginny asked. He was holding her face rather tightly, slightly impeding her speech.

"I'm looking for the tears that usually accompany a Braeden letter, and let me register my amazement at their absence!" Ron explained. He let go of Ginny's face and turned back to his food. Fred, George, and Harry all laughed appreciatively. Hermione smiled at Ginny and shook her head.

"Boys!" mouthed Ginny, looking up at the ceiling. Hermione rolled her eyes. 

"So he's keeper for the school team?' Harry asked.

"When are our school team tryouts?" Fred asked.

"How are they planning on picking the team?" Ron questioned.

"Can't they just change the name of the Gryffindor team to Hogwarts school team for those matches?" George complained.

"Yes, Braeden is the keeper for the Beaubaxtons school team," Ginny answered Harry's questioned.

"Don't you think they should at least hold tryouts for the sake of formality before they do that?" Ron answered George's.

"Tryouts are a week from Friday," Harry told Fred, "You're half of a captain, you should know that."

"I'm the better half too!" Fred said with a smile.

"I resent that Fredrick Weasley," George spat. Fred smiled again at his brother. 

"Down boys!" Ginny cried. "Can reserves try out?"

"I'm not sure," Harry replied.

"Ask Dumbledore," Hermione suggested.

"Mark this day in your calendars!" Ron cried.

"Why?" asked George.

"Hermione just gave advice to answering a question that didn't involve going to the library," Ron laughed. 

"Who do you think will make the Hogwarts team?" Ginny asked. 

"Harry," came Fred and George's prompt reply. 

"Not Malfoy?" Hermione asked innocently. Everyone laughed at her.

"You know what I heard?" Ron asked.

"What?" Harry, Fred and George all replied. They leaned in towards him with interested looks on their faces.

"Boy do you four look like teenage witches waiting to hear the latest gossip," Ginny muttered. The boys shot her dirty looks but Hermione laughed appreciatively.

"Malfoy isn't going to be the Slytherin seeker next year," Ron said.

"Who will be then?" Fred asked.

"I'll bet it's Snotty Little Malfoy," George guessed.

"What's Malfoy going to do?" Ron asked. 

"Keeper," Ginny said.

"What?" Harry asked.

"It makes sense doesn't it? Their keeper is the only seventh year on their team, I think," Ginny explained.

"Pucey?" Harry asked.

"Yeah," Ginny replied, "Because Warrington, Derrick and Bole are all sixth years."

"Who are the new chasers?" Fred asked.

"Zabini and some fourth year girl," Harry replied.

"Finley Alexander," Ginny supplied the name. 

"Are they any good?" George asked.

"From what I hear, Zabini isn't bad, and the girl is a pretty good flyer." Harry said.

"Better than our chasers?" Ron asked.

"Don't we have classes to go to?" Hermione interrupted. The five Quidditch enthusiasts glared at her.

"Probably not. Alicia, Angelina and Katie have been playing together since their second year," Fred said.

"Experience like that counts for something," George added.

"Don't you boys have to go all of the way up to Divination?" Hermione asked, glaring pointedly at Harry and Ron. 

"What about the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw teams?" Ginny questioned.

"CLASSES!" Hermione shrieked. The Weasleys and Harry instantly became silent and looked at her.

"If you say so, Miss Granger," Fred laughed. Hermione rolled her eyes, jumped up from the table and picked up her bag. She started towards the doors of the Great Hall, with Fred close on her heels, to a chorus of whipping noises from George, Ron and Harry. 

"We probably should head up to Divination," Ron suggested. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Ginny, come on! I saw the owl, now what was in the letter?" Jae Lucas cried. She and a few of the other fourth years were headed out of the Great Hall. Ginny quickly grabbed her letter and her bag and hurried after Jae. Harry and Ron picked up their bags and started towards, the door. Lee Jordan approached George.

"Man, I saw what happened with Snape. What are we planning on doing about it?" George's face lit up and he and his friend began plotting revenge. 

"What do you think Trelawney has in store for us today?" Ron asked after about five minutes of walking in silence. 

"Do you think the fates have informed her yet?" Harry replied. He and Ron both laughed. 

"What do you make of Astrid's suggestions about your wandless magic?" Ron queried. 

"I think it's reasonable," Harry replied. "The element of surprise in using something like that would be quite beneficial in some situations."

"When would you not have your wand though?"

"Ron, when I met Voldemort last June, he took my wand almost immediately," Harry quietly explained. Ron's face blanched.

"Do you think she knows something we don't?"

"She's a Malfoy, Ron, she probably knows a lot of things we don't." Harry said. Ron began climbing the ladder up into the Divination classroom. Harry followed him closely. The rest of their class was already seated around on various poufs and armchairs. Lavender and Parvati glared at the boys' tardiness. Harry sank into a chair closest to the window to avoid the stifling perfumed heat of Professor Trelawney classroom. Ron slid into a chair next to him. 

"Good afternoon!" Professor Trelawney's voice appeared from the mist at the back of the classroom, followed shortly by her moth-like body. 

"Good afternoon, Professor Trelawney," Lavender and Parvati chorused. 

"The fates have informed me that we need to devote a few of our classes to some of history's more notorious seers. Today we will be studying the quatrains of Nostradamus." Professor Trelawney announced. Harry leaned back in his chair as she charmed a blackboard in the front of the room. Everyone reached into their backpacks for parchment and quills. Harry also pulled out his transfiguration book so he would have something to press down on as he wrote. 

"Alright then, first a bit of biographical information on Nostradamus. Michel de Nostradame was born on December 14, 1503 in St. Remi, France." Professor Trelawney began. Harry wrote the facts down on his parchment. A spare bit of parchment hit him squarely in his chest. He unfolded it.

I've died and gone to hell_._

Harry looked over at Ron and then back at the parchment. He wrote something on it, waited until Professor Trelawney wasn't looking, and threw it back at his friend.

**Wake me up when you get back.**

With that, he leaned back in his chair and looked out of the window. The first years from one house were having their first flying lessons down on the Quidditch pitch with Madam Hooch. He watched with interest as the small figures tried, mostly in vain, to get their brooms to jump into their hands. Then he thought about his Firebolt. He almost laughed out loud at the though of its enthusiasm to be flown, as compared to the school brooms. Moving his hand as though he was writing, he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, letting his mind drift to outside on the Quidditch pitch with his Firebolt. "_Where every one should be_," he reasoned, and had to keep himself from laughing again. Slowly, the heat of the room and the steady drone of Trelawney's voice over took him, numbing his senses…

"Thank you for bringing your son here to me," the cold voice pierced the warm summer night. Three black robed figures stood huddled together at the edge of a forest. A large field spread out before them, with a weather-beaten shack off in the distance. The two smaller figures cowered in front of the tallest.

_"For someone so young, he is certainly enlightened to the way the world should be," The taller figure laughed. The other man laid prostrate on the ground in front of the tallest figure, overtaken by the power emanating from the taller being_

"Harry, I'm back!" A persistent voice said, rousing Harry from his nap.

"What?" Harry asked, opening his eyes to look straight into Ron's face. "Where did you go?"

"Never mind. You slept through class. Lets go before Trelawney realizes it," Ron insisted. Harry dragged his knuckles across his particularly tingly scar.

"Bloody hell Ron, you're going to get it!" Harry cried. Ron woke him at the pivotal point of his dream for the third time 

"What?" Ron asked. A confused look crossed his face. Harry scratched his scar again. 

"With the way he's scratching his head, I'd say run," Seamus laughed. 

"I was having that dream again!" Harry hissed, pushing Ron towards the trap door. Ron scrambled down the ladder with Harry close behind him. 

"The dream about Voldemort's Jr. League?" Ron asked. 

"Yes," Harry replied.

"And I woke you up right before the cloak fell off of the boy, right?" Ron laughed.

"Actually no, it was a bit different this time," Harry explained.

"Let's go find Hermione and then you can tell me about it," Ron said. He and Harry set off towards Gryffindor tower.

%%%%%

Hermione ran up the steps to her dorm. She ran in her room and dumped her Arithmancy books on her bed.

"Hermione, I think this is for you," Parvati said from somewhere behind her. Hermione turned to face her roommate. A dignified eagle owl sat on Parvati's bedside table.

"Sebastian!" Hermione said. She went over and removed the letter from her owl's leg. She slipped him and owl treat and he took off towards the owlery, probably to be with Hedwig. She unrolled the letter.

HERMIONE

I FOOLED YOU DIDN'T I? DIDN'T THINK YOU WOULD EXPECT A LETTER FROM ME WITH YOUR OWN OWL. 

THE CONVERSATION AT LUNCH TODAY MADE ME THINK. SCARY, I KNOW. JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT IN FRANCE DOESN'T MEAN I CAN'T WRITE YOU A LETTER EVERY NOW AND THEN DOES IT? 

AND NOW THAT I'VE STARTED THIS, I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT TO WRITE. REMIND ME TO ASK BRAEDEN NEXT TIME I SEE HIM. HE MUST BE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT, GINNY'S ALWAYS VERY TAKEN WITH HIS LETTERS. 

WELL, I GUESS I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU HOW HAPPY I AM THAT YOU IGNORED MY LACK OF SUAVITY AND SAID YES ANYWAY! IT'S BEEN 1 DAY AND 17 HOURS! 

I THINK THIS IS ALL.

SEE YOU AT DINNER J 

FRED

Hermione folded the letter and smiled broadly.

"Fred?" Parvati asked. Hermione nodded dumbly. 

"How did you manage to get with him?" Parvati asked.

"He asked and I said yes." Hermione made her relationship sound as simple as the spoon transfiguration. Parvati rolled her eyes and Lavender giggled.

"Is he a good kisser?" Lavender asked.

"Do you even know?" Parvati questioned.

"No noses," Hermione giggled, before waving at her roommates and heading out of the room to find Harry and Ron. Parvati looked at Lavender and raised a questioning eyebrow.

"No noses?" Lavender asked. Parvati shrugged.

%%%%%

"Hermione!" Ron called. He and Harry were climbing through the portrait hole, on their way back from Divination.

"Hey guys, how was Divination?" Hermione asked.

"I went to sleep and Ron went to hell!" Harry announced proudly. Hermione clasped her hand to her forehead and looked at the floor.

"Harry had more of the dream," Ron said.

"The dream?" Hermione asked.

"The DREAM!" Ron replied. 

"More?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, let's go over here," Harry said, pulling his friends towards a group of chairs in the corner. He slid into one of the chairs. Ron sat on another and Hermione stretched out in the floor between the two of them. 

"So what else did you learn?" Ron asked.

"Well, the only real difference was, the man in the dream bowed down to Voldemort, and Voldemort didn't try to touch the child," Harry said.

"So you still don't know who the kid is?" Hermione asked.

"Nope," Harry replied, "it could be anyone. And I still don't know why the child is important anyway."

"It's Keiran Malfoy!" Ron insisted.

"You know, to be such good friends with his sister, you sure don't like Little Malfoy much," Hermione laughed. Ron scowled at her.

"Voldemort said something too," Harry said. He scratched his scar again.

"What?' Hermione asked.

"He made some comment about the young one being enlightened to the way the world should be." Harry said.

"So he does have a heir!" Ron said.

"Don't jump to conclusions," Hermione scolded, "I think Harry is onto something with the immortality not legacy."

"He probably needs an evil child for some other bit of dark magic to bring him that much closer to immortality," Harry guessed.

"If we're going by names here, then Keiran would probably be dark enough," Hermione said.

"What?" Ron asked.

"Keiran means 'little dark one' and Nigel means 'black'," Hermione explained.

"Keiran Nigel?" Harry questioned.

"Astrid told me," Hermione explained.

"But why Keiran and not Draco?" Harry asked.

"How big is the kid in the dream?" Hermione asked.

"He's probably between eight and twelve. It's rather hard to tell because he's wearing a big black cloak," Harry said. 

"Eight and twelve?" Hermione asked.

"Hell, for all we know, it could be Colin Creevey. He is small enough and he's 14!" Harry said. 

"So we think of all of the people in that age group we know," Hermione said.

"And then we become amazed at the sheer number of the ones we don't know," Ron said, rolling his eyes at his friend.

"At least Hermione has a starting point," Harry said. 

"What about the name thing. Do you know the meanings of the names of any other kids that age?"

"Astrid's first name means 'my father rejoices' and Astrid means 'like a star.'" Hermione said.

"I really don't think it's Astrid," Ron laughed.

"No," added Harry.

"I was thinking about names this summer when you all were at my house," Hermione said.

"Brantley is in that age range!" Ron exclaimed.

"What does Brantley mean?" Harry asked.

"I don't know what Brantley means, but his middle name is Aaron and that means enlightened," Hermione said.

"Wait, didn't You-Know-Who say the young one was enlightened?" Ron asked.

"You're grasping for straws now, Weasley," Hermione warned. 

"Hermione Anne Granger, you've got some explaining to do!" an exasperated Ginny cried from across the common room.

"We'll continue this discussion later. I must go convince another one of your siblings that my middle name isn't Anne," Hermione laughed. She jumped up and ran over to where Ginny stood. Harry and Ron looked at each other and rolled their eyes.

"Girls," muttered Harry. Ron nodded his head in silent, annoyed agreement. 


	14. Chapter 14

Most of this story besides the plot belongs to JKR. I'm not JKR. 

Nat's list of titles is growing. She's now Beta, Slytherin Specialist, Jarvey, Dumbledore, and the official supplier of Buffy references. Most of which I don't even understand. But she rocks, so it's okay. She's also captain of a certain canoe. Just ask her about it. 

Italics denote Molly Weasley 

Yay for reviews!

I hope you guys like this chapter, it was a tough one to write.

That being said.

*****

"I don't want to go to history of magic today!" Ron declared as he, Harry and Hermione all packed their bags at the end of their Defense Against the Dark Arts class three days after the spoon transfiguration lesson.

"Maybe Professor Binns will be sick and we won't have class," Harry laughed. Ron laughed appreciatively at Harry's joke but Hermione just rolled her eyes, slung her backpack over her shoulder, and headed towards the door of the classroom. 

"It is not wise to let your previous experiences color your perceptions of the present. Go into each encounter with an open mind. You may be surprised at what you find," Dumbledore said just before sweeping out of the room in a flurry of starry blue robes. Harry and Ron exchanged a surprised glance while Hermione stood impatiently by the door.

"Hermione, calm down. Fred will still be there when we get to lunch," Ron laughed. Hermione had to laugh at him too, and, did indeed calm down. Harry took his turn at rolling his eyes and started towards Hermione at the door. Ron followed him closely. The three friends turned into the hallway and started down towards the great hall for lunch. 

"Harry!" a female voice called from just behind them. Harry turned around and found himself face to face with none other than Cho Chang. He turned back to his friends and waved them towards the Great Hall. Hermione raised her eyebrow at Harry, but Ron pulled her along. Cho turned to the boy she had been walking with. She dropped his hand and he also started towards the Great Hall. 

"Hey," Harry said.

"Hi," Cho replied. She looked down at her feet.

"How are you?" Harry asked. He realized that the butterflies in his stomach were noticeably absent and he could form coherent sentences. 

"I'm doing pretty well, how are you?" Cho said.

"I'm all right," Harry replied. 

"How was your summer?" Cho asked.

"As good as can be expected I think. The muggles weren't completely unbearable," Harry said, "yours?" 

"Like you said, as good as can be expected. Getting to spend time with William was really great."

"William?" Harry asked. 

"William Sanguinis. The guy I was walking with. He moved into my neighborhood this summer. He's a Hufflepuff seventh year. He really helped me in dealing with everything because he knew Cedric pretty well and everything," Cho explained.

"That's great," Harry said. 

"Yeah," Cho replied, "I'm really lucky to have him." The starry look that developed in her eyes made Harry believe she really was. Harry smiled at her.

"So how is the Ravenclaw Quidditch team looking this year?" Harry asked. He was unsure of what to follow her comments about Cedric with, so he decided to play it safe and talk about Quidditch. 

"We're good, but we're probably no match for the side you've undoubtedly put together," Cho replied.

"I'm not the captain," Harry said.

"What?" Cho asked, "What was McGonagall thinking?"

"She was thinking the Weasley twins need responsibility," Harry laughed.

"So which one is captain?" 

"Both of them. The fate of the Gryffindor team has been placed in the hands of Hogwarts most famous pranksters in a very long time," Harry laughed.

"So maybe Ravenclaw will be a match for you all," Cho said.

"I wouldn't necessarily say that. While Fred and George are a little, shall we say crazy? They're still good Quidditch players," Harry said, "and they've been pretty good captains so far."

"So I suppose we shall see when we play you all," Cho laughed.

"I suppose we shall," Harry agreed. He pulled open the door of the Great Hall and allowed Cho to step inside.

"Well it was nice talking to you," she said, and started off towards the Ravenclaw table.

"Nice talking to you too," Harry replied. He headed towards his friends at the Gryffindor table.

"What was that about?" Ron asked before Harry could even take his seat.

"She just told me that I don't have a chance," Harry laughed.

"What? She told you that?" Hermione asked.

"In not so many words," Harry explained, "She stopped to tell me all about her new boyfriend."

"And then you started a conversation on Quidditch because the other conversation made you nervous," Ginny said.

"How did you know?" Harry asked. Hermione, Ron and the twins all erupted with laughter.

"You're a guy, that's a typical guy response," Ginny explained. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Well she's right," a small voice said from the other side of George.

"Well hey Astrid, what are you doing back at this end of the table?" Harry asked, jokingly.

"We decided to sit down here today," Astrid explained. Only then did Harry notice Dennis Creevey sitting on the other side of Ron. 

"You don't seem to upset about the conversation with Cho," Hermione commented.

"I'm not. I realized a while ago that I don't have a chance with her," Harry admitted.

"Gee Harry, what tipped you off?" Fred asked.

"Was it the 'I can't go to the ball with you because I'm going with, er, someone else' bit?" George added. Harry instantly looked towards his food with a sad expression on his face.

"George Clancy Weasley, that was totally uncalled for!" Ginny exclaimed when she noticed Harry's reaction to George's joke. 

"No Ginny, it's alright," Harry said more to his plate than to Ginny. 

"Wait, did you say his middle name is Clancy?" Hermione asked.

"Yes," Ginny replied. Hermione didn't notice the nervous glance the three Weasley brothers exchanged over her head.

"What are Charlie, Bill and Percy's middle names?" Hermione asked.

"Don't tell her!" Ron cried.

"Please don't tell her," Fred begged. Hermione looked imploringly at Ginny.

"Bill's is Griffith, Charlie's is Rowan and Percy's is," began Ginny.

"Percy's is Rufus!" George exclaimed. Fred and Ron both glared at him.

"What! She's going to figure out, so why can't I make fun of Percy in the process?" George asked. Hermione began laughing. 

"I don't get it," Harry said, looking up from his plate.

"All of their middle names mean red, red-haired, or red hair!" Hermione cried. Harry looked from Ron to George to Fred. All three of them nodded.

"Really?" Astrid asked.

"Griffith means 'with red hair,' Rowan means 'red', Rufus means 'red head', Bayard means 'with red brown hair', Clancy means 'redheaded fighter,' and Alroy means 'red-haired youth'," Hermione laughed. Astrid, Harry, Dennis and Ginny slowly joined in their laughter, but the three Weasley brothers just scowled. 

"I don't think it's that funny," Ron said after a minute of laughing from his friends. 

"Mom reckoned it would be cute," Fred added. Hermione tried to stop her laughter.

"It is," she gasped.

"Your middle name is really Alroy?" Astrid asked Ron.

"She was running out of names by the time she got to ickle Ronniekins," George laughed. He reached across the table to pinch his younger brothers cheek, but Ron smacked his hand away.

"You have no room to talk, Clancy!" Ron spat.

"So if she was running out of names by the time she got to Ron, then why are you laughing at them?" Dennis asked Ginny.

"She decided to stop with the red names," Ginny laughed.

"Doesn't Eirene mean peace?" Hermione asked. 

"Yes, which is exactly why I can laugh at my brother's names," Ginny replied.

"Virginia Eirene?" Astrid asked.

"Yes, Virginia Eirene," Ginny replied, smiling at the little girl. Astrid nodded and turned back to her food.

"Gin is obviously the favorite child," Fred laughed. Ron and George both glared at him.

"Bayard is a more tolerable middle name than Alroy!" Ron insisted.

"Or Clancy," George added.

"That's what you get for being lazy, George," Fred laughed.

"What?" Astrid asked. 

"Fred is older by about five minutes," George explained. Astrid rolled her eyes and looked at her plate.

"Are you or your brother older?" Fred asked the little girl.

"Keiran is about fifteen minutes older than me," Astrid explained, more to her plate than to the twins. Fred looked to George and raised a questioning eyebrow. George just shrugged. 

"What do you guys make of Dumbledore's comment at the end of Defense?" Hermione asked Harry and Ron to pull the topic of conversation away from twins. 

"Typical Dumbledore," Harry laughed.

"Yes. I'm not seeing a very new or interesting perspective on the Goblin rebellions," Ron said.

"Any of them," Harry added.

"If you guys would just pay attention you might find some of the stuff he tells us very interesting," Hermione scolded.

"Interesting maybe, useful, no," Ron said.

"The way I see it, my brain has a limited amount of space. If I fill that space with dates about the Goblin Rebellions that I'm never going to need to know again, then I may run out of room for important stuff like some of the things we learn in Defense or Transfiguration," Harry reasoned.

"History is important though," Hermione argued, "because it repeats itself. If we don't study history we run the risk of making the same mistakes those before us."

"Well how about this, I'll fill my brain with important stuff and we can reserve yours for history and other fluff like that," Harry suggested.

"How about you all go to class and drop this argument before it turns into something massive," Fred suggested sensibly. He placed a hand lightly on Hermione's arm. She turned to look at him and smiled. 

"I still maintain that he kicked himself in the balls," Dennis mumbled to his plate, eliciting strange looks from the Weasleys, Astrid, and Harry, and a glare from Hermione. 

"Never mind," he said when he noticed them staring at him. 

"To History then?" Ron asked his friends.

"To History," Harry agreed, grabbing his bag from under his spot on the bench. Hermione looked at Fred who looked at George.

"To History and then Transfiguration?" Fred asked.

"How about just to Transfiguration, I'll meet you there," George suggested. He glanced down the table to where Lee Jordan, Marissa Lucas, and Dani Carmichael sat. 

"Sure," Fred agreed. He stood up and picked up Hermione's bag from under the table and slung it over his shoulder. She stood up and laced her fingers through his. They started towards the door of the Great Hall with Harry and Ron close behind them. Harry, Ron and George had finally given up on making gagging noises every time Fred and Hermione showed affection, just as Ginny and Astrid tried to keep their "AWW!!'s" to a minimum. 

"Maybe we won't study the goblins," Ron said as they followed Fred and Hermione up to the History of Magic classroom.

"Maybe Binns isn't dead!" Harry replied quickly. 

"Maybe the Goblins killed Binns and that's why he teaches us about them all of the time," Ron suggested.

"Maybe not!" Harry exclaimed.

"Binns died in front of the staff room fire," Hermione added.

"You forgot to say maybe," Fred chided. Ron and Harry both glared at him. 

"Maybe I didn't want to," Hermione replied. Harry and Ron laughed appreciatively.

"Why do your goons laugh at your jokes and not mine?" Fred asked. 

"We're not goons!" Ron insisted.

"Okay, body guards," Fred amended.

"We're not body guards either!" Ron cried.

"Friends don't threaten to force feed friends' boyfriends their intestines with a spork either," Fred replied as sweetly as someone talking about eating his own intestines could. 

"It wasn't just intestines," Ron reminded Fred of his actual threat.

"This is rated for a younger audience," Fred quipped. Harry looked around before responding to Fred's comment. "I don't see any first years."

"How do you know about ratings anyway?" Hermione asked.

"Marissa Lucas is muggle-born. A bunch of us got together at her house for her birthday this summer and we watched some movies," Fred explained.

"You were at Marissa Lucas's house?" Hermione asked.

"All of the seventh years were," Fred said. Hermione smiled and stopped at the History of Magic classroom door. Harry and Ron hurried inside to avoid the good-bye kisses Fred and Hermione would surely shower each other with. 

"Eventually the two of them will be caught by prefects," Ron muttered as he took his seat in the back row of the classroom.

"We are prefects and so is she," Harry said, sliding into the desk next to Ron's.

"Prefects who care," Ron amended. 

"We care," Harry reminded him.

"We care too much to take off points," Ron said. 

"True, true." Hermione entered the room red faced and smiling. She took a seat in front of Ron. Ron and Harry both rolled their eyes at her. Neville sank into the seat next to him.

"I heard from some Ravenclaw sixth years that we actually do something besides take notes in this class now," he announced. Ron and Harry exchanged an excited glance, but Hermione looked slightly disappointed.

"What are we going to do?" She asked.

"They didn't say, but they did mention that it was Dumbledore-mandated," Neville replied. Ron and Harry smiled broadly at each other, but refrained from exchanging a high five as Professor Binns floated lazily down towards his desk from the ceiling. 

"Good afternoon class," He said. All the fifth year Gryffindor and Hufflepuffs looked at him a little less than excitedly. 

"Today, we will be halting our study of the Goblin rebellions to begin a semester long group project." Most of the class looked as though they could barely contain their excitement of the prospect of a day away from the Goblins. 

"This project will be done in groups of two," continued Professor Binns, "and your topics will relate to Voldemort's first reign. Any questions? Anyone… Anyone?" Hermione's hand shot into the air.

"May we pick our own groups?" she asked.

"No you may not, but you may pick your topics," Professor Binns. "In addition to a written report, each group is expected to give a presentation of your findings to the class at before Winter Holidays. You may use this class period to being your research."

"Are there any unsuitable topics?" Ron asked.

"Quidditch, Mr. Weasley, is probably an unsuitable topic," Professor Binns said. "And only Mr. Potter's group may use Mr. Potter as a resource," he added as almost an afterthought. Ron and Hermione both looked more than slightly disappointed. 

"I am posting the list of partners right here. Check it and then go straight to the library. I have to go substitute for one of Professor Sprout's classes. You must check in with Madame Pince and tell her your topic. If someone else has already chosen the topic you want, then you must pick another. If you don't follow these instructions, you will have to serve a detention with Professor Snape and with Filch," Binns threatened. With that, he tacked a piece of parchment to the wall and floated back through the ceiling. Ron and Harry looked at each other before they both got up and headed towards the list on the wall. Most of the Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors had done the same, so Ron's height came to his advantage.

"Harry, you're with Hannah Abbott!" Ron announced. He and Harry both missed Hannah's face turning bright red. Harry instantly thought back to the conversation he had overheard in the girls bathroom and realized he was going to have a very interesting History of Magic class indeed. Ron turned and waded his way through the crowd back to where Harry was standing.

"You're with Hannah, I'm with Amanda Princeton, and Hermione's with Ernie McMillan," Ron recounted the pairs for him. The two friends headed back towards where Hermione was still sitting.

"Who am I with?" Hermione asked as they approached her.

"Ernie McMillan," Ron responded.

"And you?' Hermione asked.

"Amanda Princeton," Ron replied. 

"And I heard you yelling about Harry being with Hannah Abbott," Hermione said. Ron laughed as Harry turned bright red. Hermione gathered her books, and Harry and Ron grabbed their bags. They all three started towards the library.

"So what do you think you'll do your projects on?" Hermione asked as they walked down the corridor. 

"Quidditch," Ron promptly replied.

"Binns said," began Hermione.

"Binns didn't factor Ludo Bagman into the equation either. I'll find a way to make it work so well he won't be able to fail me." Hermione rolled her eyes and looked at Harry.

"Probably the fall of Voldemort," Harry admitted.

"Since he was the responsible party and all," Ron quipped. Hermione and Harry both glared at him.

"I'll have to wait and talk to Hannah," Harry said.

"She's got the expert on the topic as her partner," Ron said, "why would she object?"

"I'm hardly the expert," Harry replied. Hermione pulled open the doors to the library and a vulture-like stare from Madam Pince silenced the two boys. Harry noticed Hannah waving at him from a corner of the library. He waved goodbye to his friends and headed over towards his partner.

"Hey," Hannah whispered when he approached.

"Hey," he replied. "Have you already signed in?"

"Yes," she said, "so you'll have to give her our topic."

"What would you like to do the report on?" Harry asked.

"I was thinking maybe the way the Ministry Responded to Voldemort's attacks," Hannah said, "like their standard procedure on dealing with one."

"That's a good idea."

"Did you have any ideas?" Hannah asked.

"I was thinking maybe the Fall of Voldemort," Harry replied, "If you don't think that's too pretentious of me, that is." Harry could see the proverbial wheels in Hannah's head turning. 

"It's not pretentious of you at all," Hannah replied, "It could be a very interesting project and in all actuality I was hoping you would suggest that." She and Harry both laughed softly.

"Alright then, the fall of Voldemort it is," Harry said. He turned around and headed towards Madame Pince to check in and tell her of their topic. Hannah watched him go. She was absolutely amazed at her luck and made a mental note to tell Mandy at dinner that she and Harry Potter were working on a project together. Not just any project either, a semester-long project. Hannah had kept a crush on Harry since sometime during third year. Of course he didn't know anything about it, and she planned to keep it that way. Unless of course something happened between the two of them during the course of their project. Then she supposed he could know. 

"Madame Pince said something along the lines of 'how disgustingly typical' when I told her our topic," Harry laughed as he eased himself into the seat next to Hannah. Hannah jumped at the sound of his voice.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," He immediately apologized. 

"It's alright," Hannah replied. "So what should we research?"

"Well, most people already have a basic idea of what happened," Harry said, "so an insiders point of view is probably the best route to take in presenting the information."

"You're the insider," Hannah said, "So could you tell what you remember?"

"I was 14 months old," Harry replied.

"Which makes things considerably more difficult," Hannah muttered.

"However through alternate means, I have been able to regain some memory of what happened that night," Harry admitted, staring at the table.

"Are you going to be able to talk about it?" Hannah asked.

"I don't know if I can," Harry said, still staring at the table. 

"Would you rather write what you can remember down and let me read it for the class?" Hannah suggested.

"Not that you're reading wouldn't be great, but I think it's my story and I need to tell it," Harry softly replied. 

"Reasonable enough," Hannah agreed.

"It's just hard. Ron and Hermione are my best friends and they don't even really know what happened."

"Just not something you like to talk about?"

"Would you like to talk about it if you were in my position?" Harry asked.

"No," Hannah admitted, "So maybe this report will be a bit much. I doubt it's too late to change the topic." 

"I think it's something I need to do," Harry replied with an element of steely resolve. 

"You, Ron and Hermione should talk it out first," Hannah suggested.

"I don't think so," Harry countered, "This is one thing they can find out with the rest of you. Well, not really you, I suppose, since you'll need to know what I'm going to say before our presentation."

"Not if you don't want me to," Hannah said. Her mind was racing at the thought of being the first person to hear Harry's version of what happened that faithful night.

"No, I think you need to hear it," Harry replied, "that is if you want to listen."

"Of course I want to listen," Hannah insisted. 

"We should probably also interview some people who were present at what happened or showed up shortly there after," Harry suggested. 

"Yes," Hannah agreed, "We should probably ask Dumbledore about it."

"Yes we should," Harry said, "but I know for a fact we should interview McGonagall, Dumbledore and Hagrid." 

"Why them?" Hannah asked.

"They were the three who left me on my relatives door step after rescuing me from my house," Harry explained.

"You got left on a doorstep?" Hannah asked, her voice filled with awe.

"Yes, I did. Left in a basket on a doorstep for my muggle relatives to find," Harry almost laughed.

"How romantic!" Hannah squealed.

"You don't know the Dursleys" Harry laughed. 

"I guess not," Hannah said.

"So are we just going to get up in front of the class and talk?"

"Could we make a layout of the house," Hannah suggested.

"Then talk about exactly what happened before going into some eyewitness accounts," Harry added.

"Then do you want to culminate it all with your speech?" Hannah asked.

"It would be a good closing point," Harry admitted. "We should get together later this week and discuss what I'm going to say." 

"Unless you're willing to wait until next Sunday, it's going to have to be tonight. I've got Quidditch practice," Hannah said, "and then trials Friday."

"Same here. Fred and George are making us practice quite a bit to ensure that as many Gryffindors as possible make the team." Harry explained, "but we don't have practice tonight either."

"I think Ravenclaw managed to book the field," Hannah laughed.

"So tonight then?" Harry asked.

"Tonight," Hannah repeated. "Charms classroom?"

"Alright then," Harry said, smiling at her. 

"So about the Gryffindor Quidditch team," Hannah laughed. 

"What about us?" Harry asked.

"How are you all this year?"

"We're pretty much the same as two years ago, only a little older. And we have Ron rather than Wood." 

"How is Ron?" Hannah asked.

"He's pretty good,' Harry admitted. "How is the Hufflepuff team looking?"

"It's been difficult this year, without Cedric and all."

"I'm sure," Harry said, instantly looking at his hands where they were folded on the table. 

"Oh Harry, I'm sorry," Hannah said. She placed a soft hand on his forearm. Harry looked over at her.

"It's okay," He replied, "So how are you guys?"

"Well, we're okay. William has been killer as a captain."

"William?' Harry asked.

"William Sanguinis, Cho's new boyfriend," Hannah explained.

"He's captain?" Harry asked.

"Yes. He's the new captain and the keeper," Hannah said.

"Who else is on the team?" 

"Eloise Midgen and Danny Gudgeon are the beaters and Justin, Amanda and I are the chasers," Hannah explained. 

"I didn't realize you play Quidditch," Harry laughed.

"I do," Hannah replied, "but this is my first year on the team, not all of use can make it as first years."

"That was Draco Malfoy's fault."

"I know. I think we all heard Cedric rant for most of our first year about how unfair it was that Gryffindor got to use a first year," Hannah laughed. Harry managed a small smile. 

"He did?" Harry asked.

"Oh yes," Hannah laughed. "He ranted, complained, fussed, and even resorted to begging Sprout to hold a trial for the first years."

"Did she comply?"

"Yes, but nothing really came out of it. None of us save Amanda and Danny were very interested in Quidditch, and neither of them were that good at the time," Hannah said. Harry laughed politely at her critique of her teammates. 

"Oi Harry!" Ron called from the door of the library.

"Madame Pince said we could go because we've been working so diligently. We were just headed back to the common room if you want to come," Hermione said.

"If you want to," Ron added. Harry looked at Hannah.

"See you tonight," she replied with a smile.

"Tonight then," Harry replied. He headed over towards Ron and Hermione. 

"How did it go?" Ron asked. 

"It went really, really well," Harry said as they entered the corridor outside the library.

"That's cool, what are you doing your project on?" Hermione asked.

"Take a guess," Harry laughed.

"The fall of Voldemort," Ron guessed.

"Very good!" Hermione said. Harry smiled at both of them.

"How was spending time with _Hannah_!" Ron teased.

"She's a really sweet person," Harry replied.

"Sure," Ron said, rolling his eyes.

"At least he kept command of the English language," Hermione commented. Harry turned bright red.

"So what are your projects on?" Harry asked to change the subject.

"Quidditch," Ron promptly replied.

"The Ministry of Magic during Voldemort's first reign," Hermione said. Ron and Harry both rolled their eyes. "It seems as though Ernie is very interested in working for the ministry after we graduate."

"That's cool," Ron said.

"Hannah and I talked about Quidditch," Harry laughed. Hermione rolled her eyes and muttered "figures" under her breath. 

"For your information, SHE started the conversation!" Harry laughed.

"Oh my goodness! A girl prompted a Quidditch discussion?" Ron asked.

"Yes!" Harry cried. 

"Baby buggy's rubber bumpers," Hermione said.

"I'm sorry dear, you didn't say the password fast enough," the fat lady replied.

"I'm killing my boyfriend." Hermione muttered.

"That's not the password either," the fat lady said.

"Baby buggy's rubber bumpers!" Harry exclaimed as fast as he could.

"That, my dear, was barely satisfactory," the fat lady said as she swung herself open to allow the three friends through. 

"Fred and George are going to get it," Hermione said as they all walked over towards the couch.

"Hey look, isn't that Hermes?" Harry asked, pointing at an owl tapping at the common room window. 

"Yeah, it is," Ron said. He rushed over to the window and opened it to allow his older brother's owl in. He pulled the letter off of the owl's leg and pointed it in the direction of the owlery.

"Who is letter from?' Hermione asked.

"It's to 'The Weasley Children' and I'm pretty sure this is mum's handwriting." Ron said. He unfolded the letter, sank into a chair and began reading. Harry and Hermione took seats on the couch across from him and watched him intently as he read the letter. His reading was punctuated by several amusing facial expressions, a few "oh my goodness"'s and one "BLOODY HELL!"

"What is it?" Hermione asked when Ron finally dropped the parchment to his knee. He folded it up and threw it to Hermione.

"Read it," He instructed, "both of you." Harry moved closer to Hermione and Hermione opened the letter. 

_Dear Fred, George, Ron and Ginny,_

_ I hope this letter finds you all doing well. I hope your marks are all satisfactory. Fred, George, you haven't received too many detentions have you? Ron, Ginny, I'm sure you're both staying out of trouble as well. Ron, tell Harry and Hermione I say hello._

_ The real purpose of this letter is to inform you of some family news that affects you all. Percy has moved out of the Burrow into a flat in London to be closer to the ministry. He has also proposed to Penelope Clearwater. She accepted and they are have set the date for sometime in January or February of next year. _

_ Bill has been seeing Arabella Figg almost every day since we dropped you all off for school, and even before that they had been owling each other daily. When the news of Percy and Penelope's engagement broke, Bill proposed to Arabella so his younger brother wouldn't outdo him. Surprisingly enough, she said yes, and they've set December 21st as the date. Bill, as the oldest, feels it is his duty to be first in everything. You all will all be home for the wedding because of Winter Holidays. Harry and Hermione, as I'm sure Ron has let you read this, you all are both welcome to come for the wedding. Harry, Dumbledore has already deemed you staying with us for the entire holiday's perfectly acceptable. Also, Ginny, you may invite Braeden over if he's in England around the date. _

_ Congratulations, Ron and Ginny, on making the Quidditch team. Your father, Bill, Arabella and I plan on coming to some of the matches this year to see you all play. Charlie said he might even try to floo in for one. _

_ I believe this is all of the news for now. I will write again soon. Please write back. I love you all very much._

_ Love_

_ Mum_

"Oh wow," came Hermione's reply before Harry had even finished writing the letter.

"I got a letter from Bill the other day and he mentioned nothing about Arabella," Ron laughed.

"Isn't three weeks a bit of a short time to date before getting engaged?" Harry asked. 

"Yes," Ron said.

"Not if they're in love," Hermione replied.

"It's not long enough," Ron declared.

"They knew each other in school," Hermione countered.

"What about Percy and Penelope?" Ron asked.

"They're probably about the same age Harry's parents were when they got married," Hermione said, looking at Harry for conformation.

"I don't know," Harry replied.

"You don't know?" Hermione asked.

"No I really don't" Harry said, "Ron, how old was Bill when you were born?" 

"I think he was fifteen, but don't quote me on that," Ron replied.

"So a fifth year then?" Harry asked.

"Yes," Ron replied.

"Making me being born in the summer between Bill's fifth and sixth years," Harry said. 

"How much older than Bill were your parents?" Hermione asked.

"He was a first year when they were fifth years," Harry replied. 

"So if Bill was fifteen when Ron was born and he was a first year when your parents were fifth years, that means they were only nineteen or twenty when they had you," Hermione reasoned. Harry thought about it for a moment.

"Making them only twenty or twenty one when I got this," Harry said pointing to the scar on his head. 

"So Percy and Penelope really aren't too young by that standard," Hermione said. Ron shrugged and Harry looked at his feet, thinking about how little he knew about his parents. Hermione draped an arm lazily over his shoulders. Harry jumped to his feet. "I'll see you guys at dinner," He said quickly and headed out of the portrait hole.

"Where do you think he's going?" Hermione asked.

"Three… Two… One…" Ron counted then pointed at the door to their dorm. On cute, the door flung open and Harry's Firebolt sped out. "Does that answer your question?"

"I guess it does," Hermione replied. 

*****

"HARRY!" a vaguely familiar voice called from the Quidditch pitch. Harry looked down from his broom high above the pitch to see a small girl standing in the center waving. She had blonde hair and looked vaguely like Astrid from his altitude. He had been flying since he left Gryffindor tower just to sort out of his thoughts about his parents and what he was going to have to tell Hannah. He pointed the broom towards Astrid and pushed it into a steep dive straight at her. She didn't move and he leveled out just over her head. 

"What did you need?" he asked.

"Hermione and Ron said I might find you out here," Hannah replied. Harry looked below him and realized the figure he had thought to be Astrid was actually his History of Magic partner. 

"Our meeting!" Harry exclaimed. "I am SO sorry!"

"No it's okay. I just noticed you weren't at dinner, so I asked them and they told me to come check out here," Hannah replied.

"I missed dinner?" Harry asked.

"Yes," Hannah said. Harry steered the broom towards the ground and hopped off. "I brought you a sandwich." She held out a brown paper bag to him. He took the bag and peered inside. "What kind is it?"

"I'm sorry if you don't like it, but Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred and George all insisted it was your favorite, if could be just another prank on the Weasleys' part," Hannah began. "It's a banana jelly and cheese." She grimaced as she said the type of sandwich. 

"Thanks for listening to them Hannah; they're actually right," Harry said, smiling at her. "So do you want to go up to the Charms classroom like we'd planned."

"If you'd rather, we can sit out here and talk," Hannah suggested, looking up at the sky.

"That would be great," Harry replied.

"I know a place over by the lake," Hannah suggested. 

"Lead the way," Harry instructed. Hannah started walking towards the lake. Harry shouldered his broom and followed her, sandwich in hand. 

"So how are you?" Hannah asked.

"I'm awwight," Harry replied thickly through a mouthful of sandwich. "An' oo?"

"I'm doing pretty well," Hannah said. 

"That's good to hear," Harry said. He had swallowed his bite of sandwich and his speech was normal for a moment. 

"Why did you skip dinner?" Hannah asked.

"Hermione, Ron and I had a conversation, and then I realized I needed to get my thoughts together before this meeting," Harry replied, "So whenever I need to think, I fly."

"Me too," Hannah said. "And while my Cleansweep isn't nearly as nice as the Firebolt, it's still relaxing."

"Would you like a go on the Firebolt sometime?" Harry asked. Hannah's face lit up brightly and she turned to Harry with a smile on her face.

"Could I really?"

"I don't see why not," Harry said, with a smile.

"If you weren't eating, walking and carrying a broom all at the same time, I'd hug you right now," Hannah squealed. "Well, that and the whole I just really started talking to you this morning bit." Harry laughed at her. 

"Fanks," Harry mumbled. 

"Well, here we are," Hannah said, stopping at a particularly grassy spot on the bank of the lake. She sank down onto the grass. "This place is ideal to watch the sunrise, and while I realize it's not morning, I still like the spot."

"It's nice," Harry replied. Nothing particularly special about the spot stood out to him.

"I know it doesn't seem like much now, but in the morning it looks like there are two skies, one on top of the other. You can't tell where heaven stops and the earth begins," Hannah said, looking out across the lake. Harry looked too, and tried to imagine it.

"I'm, sure it's beautiful." 

"It is, but we've got History of Magic to discuss," Hannah said, "and I'm sitting her blabbering on like some sentimental fool."

"It's perfectly okay," Harry replied. Hannah looked over at him and smiled Harry took another bite of his sandwich and smiled back at Hannah. 

"So I suppose this is really your time to talk, if you want to," Hannah said.

"Yeah," Harry muttered thickly. Hannah pulled a bottle of butter beer from the pocket of her robe and handed it to him.

"Where did you get this?" he asked.

"Dobby," Hannah replied.

"Dobby?" Harry asked.

"Yes. I told him it was for you and he gave me a bottle," Hannah explained.

"Great!" Harry exclaimed. Hannah watched him as he took a sip of the drink to wash down the last of his sandwich. "So what do you want to know?"

"Whatever you feel prepared to and comfortable telling me," Hannah replied. "You realize you don't have to do this. I can find out right along with everyone else."

"On an academic level, that wouldn't be fair to you," Harry reasoned, "And I'm going to have to start talking about it sometime." 

"Fair enough," Hannah said, "but wouldn't you rather tell Ron and Hermione?"

"Not really. Because if I wait around to tell them, they'll never find out unless a reason for them to know comes up. The way I look at this, you need to know. And don't object," Harry instructed.

"Alright then," Hannah replied.

"So what do you want to know?"

"Again, whatever you feel comfortable telling me," Hannah said.

"So I suppose I should start at the beginning then?"

"That would make sense."

"I was 14 months old when my parents died," Harry began. He took a deep breath before he continued. "As you know, Voldemort killed them, and then tried to kill me but his curse rebounded and all but killed him instead."

"Yes," Hannah said. Harry took another deep breath. "I lived because my mother died trying to protect me."

"Seriously?" Hannah asked.

"As best as I can figure out from dreams and assorted visions, Voldemort came into our house, killed my father and then tried to kill me. My mother refused to step aside and let him get to me, so he killed her too. Because she died solely because of her love for me, I was protected from the curse Voldemort threw at me." Harry stopped because he noticed Hannah shuddering every time he said Voldemort's name.

"Do you mind me saying his name? I'll stop if you want me to," he said.

"No, it's fine," Hannah said.

"I'm glad you say that. I believe that the fear of a name only increases the fear of an object or entity," Harry explained.

"What a very Dumbledore-ish thing to believe," Hannah laughed.

"You thought that was an original idea?" Harry asked. He and Hannah both laughed.

"Anyway," Hannah said, when they calmed down. 

"That's about it," Harry admitted.

"You remember all of that?" Hannah asked.

"No. I remember all of that because of dreams and what dementors do to me."

"Dementors?"

"Every time I get near one, I hear the deaths of my parents replaying in my head."

"You don't have to answer this if you don't want to, but how does that go?" Hannah asked.

"Basically I hear maniacal laughter and then my mother's voice begging for my life. Then Voldemort says 'stand aside you silly girl, stand aside now.' My mother keeps begging him not to kill me and then she begins begging for mercy. Then it's all over," Harry's voice trailed off and he looked out across the lake. Hannah stayed silent for a moment.

"Wow," she finally said, "so that's why you fell off your broom during that match in third year."

"Yes. I heard that scene play out in my mind and it made me black out and fall off my broom," Harry admitted. Hannah dropped her arm around his shoulders.

"I think the dreams are the worst," He continued.

"Oh?" Hannah asked.

"They're the visual interpretation of what I hear with the dementors. I see Voldemort and my mum. My mum screams. Voldemort pushes her aside, puts a curse on her and then I see a blinding green light. I always wake up at that point from the pain in my forehead."

"So your mom really did die to protect you," Hannah commented. 

"I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for her. And I realize everyone can say that about their mothers, but most mother's don't give their children life more than once." 

"You got it twice," Hannah sort of laughed. 

"Three times," Harry corrected.

"Three times?" Hannah asked.

"Yes," Harry said. Hannah waited silently for an explanation. Harry took another deep breath.

"Last year, at the end of the third task," Harry began.

"But she'd been dead for," Hannah interrupted.

"Thirteen years," Harry completed her sentence as she struggled to do the math. "At the end of the third task, as you probably already know, Cedric and I were transported by port key to a graveyard where Voldemort and the Death Eaters were gathering. One of the Death Eaters killed Cedric and then Voldemort went through a ritual to get his body back. They used some blood from my arm in the ritual."

"Your arm?" Hannah asked. Harry held out his right arm and pushed back the sleeve of his robe. A fresh pink two inch long scar stood out stood out just on the forearm side of his elbow. Hannah tentatively brushed her fingers across the scar. 

"I helped Voldemort get his body back," Harry whispered. 

"Not willingly," Hannah insisted. 

"So then Voldemort made me duel with him," Harry continued. His voice never rose above the steady whisper. 

"You dueled with Voldemort?" Hannah asked. Harry nodded solemnly. "Our wands share a core, so when we cast spells at each other at exactly the same time, they met in mid air and wouldn't go any farther. Somehow, I managed to push his spell back into his wand. This caused his wand to start regurgitating shadows of the spells it had preformed in reverse chronological order."

"What?" Hannah asked.

"Ghost looking forms of the previous spells climbed from the tip of his wand."

"So you saw Cedric?"

"I saw a shadow of Cedric. He told me to bring his body back. Then a hand flipped out, followed by the shadow of an old man. Then my dad came, followed my mum. Mum told me what to do to get back to Hogwarts, so I snapped the connection between the two wands and ran for it. Cedric was too heavy to carry over to the port key, so I summoned it and brought myself and his body back here."

"She saved you twice," Hannah said.

"Yes," Harry replied. Before he could stop himself, tears formed in his eyes. He scrubbed them away with his fist. Hannah jumped to her feet.

"Come here," she instructed. He stood up next to her. She flung her arms around his waist and buried her face in his shoulder. Only Molly Weasley had hugged him with as much ferocity. He wrapped his arms awkwardly around her shoulders and leaned his cheek on the top of her head. After a moment, she pulled away with him.

"Sorry, you just looked like you needed a hug," she explained.

"Don't apologize," Harry reprimanded.

"I think that's enough for tonight, we can talk about this some more next week," Hannah said.

"Yeah," Harry agreed. He and Hannah started towards the castle. 

"Are you okay?" Hannah asked.

"Yes," Harry half-lied. The first time really talking to anyone about his parents' deaths had hit him harder than he'd expected it would. 

"Thank you," Hannah said when they were about halfway back to the castle. 

"For?" Harry prompted.

"For telling me all of that. You honestly made me realize how lucky I am," Hannah said. Harry simply nodded. "And don't worry. I realize we're not that close, but I won't tell a soul. I have a vague idea of how hard it was for you to tell me, so."

"Thank you," Harry replied. For some reason, he felt he could trust her. He pulled open the door of the castle and allowed her to walk through.

"Well, I think this is where I leave you," Hannah said, starting over towards the stairs towards the kitchens.

"I think so. See you in Herbology on Wednesday," Harry replied. He started towards the stairs but then turned back and pulled her into a quick hug. She hugged him back tightly before they parted to head towards their respective common rooms. 


	15. Chapter 15

Some of the characters are mine. The plot is most definitely mine. The rest is JKR's. 

Natalie, as well as being all of the things she was listed for in chapter 14, is a wonderful beta and a saint.

This chapter is very long, I know, I'm sorry.

Review please!

Thanks to all those who have reviewed so far.

That being said:

*****

"Ron, you do realize you're not getting any where by doing that," Astrid said from her perch on the couch in the common room on Friday afternoon about 30 minutes before dinner. Ron took off on another fast-paced circle around the couch.

"I don't think he gets it," Harry laughed.

"Shove it Potter, you're practically guaranteed a spot on the bloody team!" Ron cried from behind the couch. Harry looked at Astrid and stifled a laugh. Astrid rolled her eyes and dragged her left index finger in a circle in the air next to her left ear. 

"I saw that Astrid Malfoy!" Ron spat. He was now standing in front of the couch. 

"How is Dumbledore going about the tryouts?" Astrid asked Harry.

"In the meeting the other day, he said only starting players would be able to try out. The position you play on your house team won't affect the position you are chosen for on the school team, so I could make chaser or Ron could make beater," Harry explained.

"Fred and George would simply die if that happens I think," Astrid laughed.

"Probably. At any rate, each player is going to try out for every position and the top seven will be chosen with two reserves," Harry said.

"Only two?" Astrid asked.

"Yes, only two. They will have to be good all around players," Harry said, "so they can play every position on the field without much of a problem."

"So who do you think the team will be?" Astrid asked.

"I don't really know that I'm in a place to predict," Harry replied, "because if it was up to me, we would go with George's suggestion of changing the Gryffindor name to Hogwarts Team for those matches."

"What if you all make it?" Astrid asked. 

"Away matches would be a lot of fun," Harry said, "but I don't think that's possible."

"Who is the impartial judge?"

"I think it is Madame Hooch," Harry replied. 

"She's the impartial judge? How is she impartial?" Astrid asked. 

"Well, she has to be somewhat impartial to officiate the matches," Harry said, "So short of bringing in Ludo Bagman, she's probably the most impartial." Ron issued a loud snort from somewhere near Harry's end of the couch at the mention of Ludo Bagman. "I was kidding, Ron." Ron didn't answer Harry but kept up his pacing around the couch.

"What about Ludo Bagman?" Astrid asked.

"He wasn't exactly what you would call impartial during the triwizard tournament," Harry explained.

"I don't imagine Karakaroff was impartial either though," Astrid reasoned.

"How do you know about Karkaroff?" Harry questioned.

"Lucius wanted to send Draco to Durmstrang," Astrid replied.

"Just Draco?"

"Well, Draco and Keiran. Mother wouldn't stand for it though."

"What about you?"

"He says Hogwarts is good enough for me and Emma because we're girls," Astrid explained.

"That's ridiculous," Harry said.

"That's Lucius," Astrid replied. 

"How did he react to you being in Gryffindor?" Harry asked.

"I think mother is about the only reason I'm not disowned. Maybe mother and the fact that I'm a girl. If I was a son, I would probably not be allowed to call myself a Malfoy anymore," Astrid said. 

"Why such a big difference between his sons and his daughters?" Harry questioned.

"Good question. I think he's stuck in the dark ages and missed the bit about women's suffrage and equal rights for women," Astrid replied.

"How do you know about women's suffrage?" Harry asked.

"Mother told Lucius Emma and I were going to a boarding school for young witches from the time we were five until we got our Hogwarts letters. In fact, we went to Muggle boarding school," Astrid explained. 

"Did Lucius ever find out?"

"I'm not sure. I don't think so, or if he did, he doesn't care because we're not boys." Astrid said.

"So Keiran and Draco are his favorite two kids?"

"Oh definitely," Astrid replied, "Draco especially, because Draco is afraid of him."

"Why isn't Keiran?"

"Keiran, I don't know. Keiran is just fearless I think," Astrid said quickly, "So who all is trying out for the school Quidditch team?"

"Well, the other seekers are Cho Chang, Malfoy, and, I don't know who the Hufflepuff seeker is, Hannah didn't tell me." Harry said.

"Hannah Abbott!" Ron said in a taunting voice from behind the couch. 

"You know Ron, if you don't stop that, you're going to wear a hole in the floor," Astrid laughed.

"They can fix it," Ron replied. 

"I'm still going to laugh when you fall through it." Astrid said.

"No, we're both going to stand at the edge and peer over and laugh at you," Harry amended.

"And wave," Astrid added.

"And wave," Harry echoed. Ron rolled his eyes at both of them. He still hadn't stopped pacing around the couch. 

"Is pacing really that relaxing?" Harry asked. 

"Yes," Ron snapped. Astrid rolled her eyes at Harry. "Where is Hermione?"

"I think she and Ernie are working on their History of Magic project," Harry said.

"You guys are doing those too?" Astrid asked.

"I think Dumbledore is making the whole school," Harry replied.

"Is she not coming to the trials?" Ron asked, stopping dead in his tracks.

"Of course she's coming to the trials. She, Dennis, Ginny, Colin and I are going to sit together and cheer all of you on," Astrid insisted. 

"And Colin will inevitably take pictures," Harry laughed. 

"What if I fall off my broom?" Ron asked.

"Keep both hands on it," advised Astrid.

"But what if I don't stop as many shots that way?" Ron asked.

"Then don't," Harry laughed. 

"How can you be so calm?" Ron questioned. Panic rose in his voice. 

"Whatever happens will happen, regardless of the time spent contemplating it. No amount of worry will help," Harry said. 

"Boy you've been spending too much time with Dumbledore," Astrid laughed.

"Did that sound like a Dumbledore-ism?" Harry asked.

"Yep," Astrid and Ron both said.

"That was a Harry Potter original!" Harry laughed. Astrid rolled her eyes and smacked him with a pillow. 

"Astrid Malfoy, as a prefect you do realize I could take points off for that!" Harry said, quite seriously.

"Yes," Astrid said, she feigned a scared look.

"You're lucky I find this a better course of action," Harry said. He pulled a pillow from behind his back and hit her over her head with it. She drew her pillow back to hit Harry, but he pointed at Ron who had stopped in front of the fire with his back to Harry and Astrid. Astrid smiled deviously at Harry and pitched her pillow at Ron. It bounced off of the back of his head. He turned around and glared at the two on the couch. Harry clutched his pillow tightly and glanced towards the empty-handed Astrid. 

"ASTRID ANNE MALFOY!!" Ron cried. He picked up the pillow and threw it back at Astrid.

"My name's Abigail!" Astrid squealed. Harry tossed his pillow at Ron. 

"ABIGAIL ANNE MALFOY!" Ron cried. He picked up Harry's pillow and advanced on Astrid with it. Astrid shrieked loudly and clambered to the back of the couch. At the last possible second, Ron turned and bashed Harry across his head with the pillow. Harry jumped backwards, screaming something about how you never hit a guy with glasses. The combined weight of Harry going backwards at a high rate of speed, and Astrid, who was perched on the back of the couch, caused the couch to rock onto its back legs. When the couch rocked backwards, Ron fell forwards onto the couch and caused it to fall completely backwards. Astrid screamed and jumped onto Ron's back as the couch headed towards the floor. 

"10 Points from Gryffindor!" a familiar voice shouted from just inside the portrait hole. After a moment, Ron, Harry, and Astrid got themselves situated to peek over the seat of the couch at the prefect. 

Hermione looked with amazement at the three guilty faces peering at her over the seat of the overturned couch. Astrid, Ron then Harry all stared at her wide-eyed. She ran her fingers through her frizzy brown hair.

"What part of being prefects don't you boys understand?" she asked.

"Astrid started it!" Harry insisted. He and Ron jumped up and went to opposite ends of the couch. They grabbed the back of it and pulled it back upright. Astrid had been on her knees on the back of the couch looking over the seat when the boys decided to upright it. She ended up lying on her stomach on the seat of the couch staring at the floor when the couch was upright.

"New rule," Astrid began as she struggled to return herself to a sitting position, "tell me before you decide to move furniture I'm sitting on."

"How about you just don't flip anymore furniture," Hermione scolded.

"Do we still lose points?" Ron asked, worriedly.

"I don't think there is anything I can do," Hermione replied, looking over to the hourglass on the wall that documented the points. 

"Don't worry, I'll say something to Keiran to provoke a nasty response from him in the presence of a teacher and Slytherin will lose points," Astrid said. Ron turned to Astrid, a broad grin on his face. Before she could protest, he enveloped her in a bear hug and lifted her straight off the ground. He began spinning crazily around the common room. She squealed loudly, and Hermione and Harry just laughed. 

"Ron, if you don't stop that, you're going to fall and knock the couch over again!" Hermione exclaimed. Ron promptly stopped and returned Astrid to her feet. She clasped a hand to her head and staggered backwards into a chair. 

"See Ron, you've made her dizzy!" Hermione scolded. Astrid smiled drunkenly up at the fifth years.

"Do I have sign on my head on my head that says 'pick me up and spin me if I do something good or say something funny'?" she asked. Harry and Ron both nodded solemnly. Hermione shook her head at both of the boys. 

"Dinner?" Harry suggested. Hermione nodded in agreement but Ron started back towards the couch.

"Pace around the Gryffindor table, you may actually get somewhere," Astrid suggested from the chair.

"Are you coming with us?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, I might as well," Astrid replied, "Dennis, Colin and Ginny said something about going to the library before dinner. Or maybe to the owlery or something." She jumped up from the chair and started towards the portrait hole. Harry and Hermione followed her. They all three paused just before climbing out and turned back to Ron. Ron was still pacing around the couch.

"Ron, trials have been moved up, they're starting without you!" Astrid cried. She, Harry and Hermione all jumped out of the way as Ron charged through the portrait hole.

"Should we mention that he forgot his broom?" Hermione asked Astrid conspiratorially. 

"Nah," Astrid laughed. Harry shook his head and followed after his friend. Hermione and Astrid laughed and started after both of the boys. 

*****

"So what are your predictions for this one?" Hermione asked as she settled into her seat in the Gryffindor stands next to Astrid. 

"Honestly?" Astrid replied.

"Honestly," Hermione said.

"Harry, Fred and George, and Draco definitely," Astrid replied.

"How do you figure Draco and Harry will both make it?" Hermione questioned.

"Just a theory on the politics of the whole thing," Astrid said.

"Politics? I didn't realize Quidditch was political," Hermione laughed. Astrid rolled her eyes and sighed. 

"Fred and George?" Ginny asked, "Do they really have a chance?"

"They're the best bloody beaters this school has!" Colin cried.

"Colin, please, the word bloody just doesn't sound right coming out of your mouth," Dennis said. Astrid and Hermione both laughed, but Ginny looked down at the pitch.

"Fred said he would score for me," Hermione laughed.

"He's a beater, that's impossible!" Astrid cried.

"I know," Hermione replied.

"How can I get on the team?" Ginny asked, ignoring Astrid and Hermione.

"Lock Harry in a closet and polyjuice yourself from now until the end of the year," Hermione replied promptly.

"We'll tell everyone that something mad and hairy has been set loose about the castle and has whisked you away to its secret lair," Colin supplied. Ginny glared at him.

"I don't really think Braeden would enjoy kissing you if looked like Harry," Hermione laughed. 

"Besides, it's a little late to lock Harry in a closet, he's already standing down there," Astrid said. Ginny glared at her. All five of the friends looked down towards the pitch. Dumbledore, Madame Hooch, and an unfamiliar younger man stood in the middle of a group of 28 hopeful members of the school Quidditch team. 

%%%%%

"Welcome to the trials for the first ever Hogwarts School Quidditch team," Dumbledore began his speech, smiling benevolently at the group of students gathered before him. "Trials today will be judged by our very own Madame Hooch," he said, indicating to the witch on his left. She, too, smiled at the students. "The trials will take the form of a round robin tournament. Everyone has been assigned a team and the teams will play each other in 10-minute matches. Madame Hooch will judge the matches, and the 21 best people will move on to the next round, creating three different teams. After those three teams play, the best 14 will move on and the remaining two teams will play each other. From the remaining 14, the team and two reserves will be chosen. The teams are designed based on the positions played on your house team, however do not be surprised if some of you find yourselves playing a different position in a later round of the trial," Dumbledore explained, "Any questions?'

"Who is he?" Orla Quirke asked, pointing at the young man standing next to Dumbledore.

"This is Thomas Watson, he will be the referee of the matches," Dumbledore said, "Any other questions."

"What are the teams?" Draco Malfoy queried.

"Team one consists of Potter, Midgen, Bole, Boot, Johnson, Princeton, and Pucey," Dumbledore read from a sheet of parchment. The people whose names had been called separated themselves from the group.

"Team two is McMillan, Derrick, Anderson, Spinnet, Finch-Fletchley, Warrington and Turpin," Dumbledore continued. "Team three consists of Malfoy, Raymond, George, Abbott, Zabini, Quirke, and Ron, and team four is Chang, Fred, Gudgeon, Alexander, Brocklehurst, Bell and Sanguinis."

"Right then, teams split up, you have five minutes to discuss tactics. Teams one and three will play the first mach," Thomas Watson said, taking charge from Dumbledore. Harry looked at his teammates and started towards the far end of the field. 

"Harry, what do you think of this?" Angelina asked. She caught up with him as he walked.

"It should be interesting," Harry said worriedly.

"We're against George and Ron right off," Angelina said.

"Oh no," Harry cried, grasping his broom tighter. 

"Oh yes," Angelina replied, "I think George and Ron both want this, so I say we leave our chasers to figure it out for themselves."

"Let's just hope they do the same for us," Harry said.

"Let's just hope little Weasley goes easy and lets me score a few times," Angelina said. 

"He's got to. They've got Malfoy, so none of us will advance if he doesn't mess up a little."

"I'm praying his nerves get to him," Angelina admitted, "And since when are you scared of Malfoy?"

"I'm not necessarily scared of Malfoy, and Ron is quite nervous," Harry said.

"So what are our tactics?" Terry Boot ventured to ask. Eloise Midgen and Bole eyed each other testily and Adrian Pucey crossed his arms over his chance menacingly. 

"Score," Harry suggested. Both of the Slytherins snorted loudly. 

"How is Ron as a keeper?" Amanda asked, "I mean I realize he's fanatic about Quidditch, but I've never seen him play."

"Your best bet is to toss in the trash," Angelina advised.

"The trash?" Amanda asked.

"The stuff he hits back. Good luck scoring on him on the first try," Angelina admitted. Harry glanced at her, but knew that Ron, if playing up to par, wouldn't start tiring until the fifth and sixth consecutive shots. "Now do you guys play Left, right or center?" Angelina asked.

"Left," Terry said instantly.

"Left," Amanda said, looking cautiously at Terry.

"Shit," Angelina muttered.

"You play left too?" Harry guessed. 

"You should know that," Angelina spat back. 

"What are you guys going to do?" Harry asked.

"I'll play center," Terry volunteered.

"I'll play right," Angelina said, rather resignedly. 

"Are you guys ready?" Harry asked the keeper and the two beaters. Bole and Pucey grunted and Eloise nodded furiously. A whistle blew from the center of the field. The team started towards the middle. Their opponents came from the other side. 

"You play left?" Harry asked Angelina. They had both dropped back from the group a bit.

"Ah, technically yes, but Oliver believed in ambidextrousness," Angelina said with a sly smile. Harry smiled back at her and stepped to his position across from Draco Malfoy. He mounted his Firebolt and waited for Thomas's whistle to start the game. The rest of the teams lined up quickly, before Dumbledore rushed to the center of the field.

"We must do something about these uniforms!" He insisted, and he was right. Both teams were a mixture of all four house teams, and therefore a rainbow of colors. He pointed his wand at team three and muttered a spell. Quickly, all of their robes turned to a uniform Orange. Harry didn't miss the ecstatic smile on Ron's faces, but he didn't get to pay much attention because quickly enough he was clothed in bright purple.

"There, much better," Dumbledore said, and Thomas nodded in agreement. Dumbledore headed over towards Team two and Thomas looked back towards the two gathered teams.

"On the sound of my whistle," Thomas said. He leaned over and released the three balls from their crate and then placed the whistle between his lips. As soon as the snitch disappeared from sight, he blew a shrill blast on his whistle. Sixteen figures, Madame Hooch and Thomas included, kicked off of the ground. The snitch had taken a sharp left towards the orange teams goals, before it had disappeared, so Harry headed in the last direction he saw it go. Ron and Pucey streaked towards their respective goals. Angelina grabbed the quaffle right off and rocketed towards Ron. George Weasley got to the bludger first and hit it sort of but not really in Angelina's general direction. Harry smiled to himself. Hufflepuffs weren't the only ones who believed in team play. Bole got to the bludger and cracked it straight at Harry.

"I'm on your team!" Harry screeched as he dived out of the way of the bludger. He heard Malfoy laughing close behind him and only then became aware of the announcing. 

"And she scores! 10 points for the Purple team! Beautiful goal, Angelina!" Harry recognized the voice as Dumbledore's. Ron tossed the quaffle out to Hannah Abbott. She spun her broom around at a high rate of speed and headed towards the purple goal. Almost instantly, a bludger courtesy of Bole nearly took Hannah off of her broom. The quaffle slipped out of her fingers and Blaise Zabini few underneath her and intercepted it, continuing the quest towards the purple goals. Eloise had hit a bludger back to Bole, but Bole refused to hit it towards Blaise. 

"Hit the bloody ball you great git!" Angelina cried. Bole paid no attention to the Gryffindor and allowed his fellow Slytherin to continue towards the Slytherin keeper. Harry took off to fly above the action. Since Bole apparently wasn't going to do anything to stop Blaise, Harry decided to take matters into his own hands. He instantly turned the broom to almost a 90-degree angle straight towards the ground and pushed it towards top speed. He ripped right in front of Blaise, causing Blaise to loose control of the quaffle. Angelina collected it and shot off towards Ron. George aimed the other bludger towards his girlfriend and hit it as hard as he could. Of course he "forgot" to compensate for the fact that she was moving in a forward direction so the bludger reached the spot she had been a few seconds previous. 

"Pass it here!" Terry Boot cried. Harry couldn't help but laugh at the "you must be kidding me," look Angelina shot him a split second before she flung the quaffle at the goal on Ron's far left. Ron was playing in his typical "No hand's" style so he stretched as far as he could and knocked the ball away before using his legs to draw his broom back underneath him. 

"Beautiful save by Ron Weasley!" Dumbledore cried. Terry grabbed the quaffle and tossed it at the left goal, which Ron was now fully in front of. Ron caught it easily and threw it to Orla Quirke. The second year Ravenclaw caught the ball and streaked towards the other end of the pitch but was almost instantly knocked off her broom by a bludger from Eloise. She instantly dropped the quaffle and Angelina collected it again. Harry was slightly amazed at Angelina's seeming omnipresence. George aimed another bludger at his girlfriend as Angelina once again flew towards Ron. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry noticed Draco rocketing straight towards Angelina from above, so Harry took off to intercept him before he could get to her. Harry pushed the Firebolt to the limit and let out a shriek as he paralleled Angelina about 10 meters over her head. Draco looked over just in time to swerve out of the way as Harry cleared the path for Angelina to enter the scoring area. He pulled his broom up at the last second to avoid being called for anything besides blatching. Of course, the referee hadn't called him earlier, and he hadn't called Draco either. Suddenly, Harry noticed something shimmering and gold fluttering on Pucey's end of the field. He turned his Firebolt and rocketed towards what he hoped was the snitch. Before he could get there, a shrill whistle sounded. Harry stopped mid air and waited for the ref to call the foul.

"Time," came the Ref's only word.

"And the purple team wins! 20 to 0!" Dumbledore cried. Harry hadn't realized Angelina had scored again. 

"Teams two and Four, take the field," Dumbledore called. Harry landed his broom and walked over to Angelina.

"Good game," he said.

"You too, I wonder who we play next." She said. 

"Hopefully a team with no Slytherin chasers," Harry muttered.

"Arse! We are the team with no Slytherin chasers," Angelina laughed. 

"Oh, right," Harry said, 

"Damn quaffle hog," Harry heard Terry Boot mutter in Angelina's general direction. Angelina spun around and glared at him. At 5'10", Angelina was a formidable opponent. Terry, at only 5'6", was instantly quiet.

"Yeah, Angelina, why didn't you pass it to him?" Harry joked.

"I don't have a responsibility to get him on the team," Angelina replied.

"And you've got a responsibility to any one else?" Harry asked.

"I don't suppose I do, but I can't help but feel I need to do anything I can to help get you guys on the team too," Angelina said. 

'Just don't be as blatantly obvious about it as the Slytherins," Harry laughed.

"Don't worry."

"You sure didn't go easy on Ron," Harry said.

"I didn't tell the other chasers about his issue," Angelina replied. Harry chuckled to himself. Ron had a real problem stopping fast consecutive shots to opposite goals when the first shot was fired on the left goal and the second on the right. 

"GOAL! FRED WEASLEY!" Dumbledore cried. Harry and Angelina exchanged an incredulous glance before looking up at the game taking place over their heads. Sure enough, Fred was making a victory lap around the pitch. 

%%%%%

"Do I have to sit here for this entire trial?" Hermione asked Astrid.

"Yes," Astrid replied.

"Why?" Hermione asked.

"Because your two best friends and your boyfriend are on the team," Ginny said. Hermione frowned at her.

"I have a Defense essay I need to write!" Hermione insisted.

"It's Friday. You have tomorrow AND Sunday," Colin laughed. Hermione glared at him.

"Just pay attention to the game," Dennis said. He and Colin both turned to watch the action on the pitch. 

"What is Fred doing?" Hermione asked, looking at the form of her boyfriend, speeding across the pitch. He had the quaffle tucked under one arm and was wildly wielding his beater bat with the other hand.

"It looks as though he forgot we're not playing Weasley-style Quidditch," Ginny said, her jaw dropping.

"What?" Astrid asked. Ginny ignored her because she was intently watching her brother streak towards the opposing teams goals. 

"I think Fred Weasley is about to make Quidditch history!" Dennis muttered. Hermione figured Fred must have been doing something good, so even she paid attention. He cracked a bludger towards an oncoming chaser and swerved around another. Lisa Turpin happened to be stationed right in front of the goal Fred was flying at, so Fred faked throwing the ball at that goal and instead lobbed it through the center. 

"GOAL! FRED WEASLEY!" Dumbledore cried, and Fred started off on his victory lap. The Creevey brothers exchanged several high fives. Hermione jumped to her feet, screaming and clapping for her boyfriend. "He said he'd score for me!" she cried. Ginny picked Astrid up and spun her around several times. Fred's head suddenly appeared floating at the edge of the stands. 

"That was for you, Hermione," He said with a smile and a characteristically Weasley blush. 

"Get your arse back into the game!" Ginny commanded, glaring at her brother as she returned Astrid to her feet.

"Yes mum," Fred replied before turning back to the game in progress. 

"Is the Weasley motto 'if you're happy and you know it spin the kid'?" Astrid asked as she sank dizzily into her seat. Ginny raised an inquiring eyebrow in her direction. 

"It seems as though you and your brothers have a wonderful habit of spinning Astrid around whenever something good happens," Hermione said.

"We do?" Ginny asked.

"Yes," Astrid muttered, "Not that I really mind or anything. It's just funny."

"When?" Ginny asked.

"Ron spun me earlier, you spun me just then, and George spun me after we beat Ron in chess a couple of weeks ago," Astrid explained. Ginny and Hermione both laughed at her but were quickly silenced by glares from Dennis and Colin. 

"Do I really have to sit here for the rest of this?" Hermione whined. Her questioned was greeted by looks from Astrid, Ginny and the Creeveys that said "We're not dignifying that with verbal responses." Hermione resignedly looked back towards the game.

*****

"GROUP FOUR WINS WITH A SCORE OF 70 TO GROUP TWO'S 10!"

*****

"GROUP ONE, 180! GROUP TWO, 60!"

*****

"Is that the snitch? Yes, Draco Malfoy has the snitch! Group three, 150, Group Four, 50!"

*****

"VICTORY FOR GROUP 1! 60-50!"

*****

"GROUP 2, 40. GROUP 3, 30. This, ladies and gentlemen, concludes the first round of Quidditch trials. Everyone please report to the center of the pitch for the results."

"How do you think I did?" Ron asked Harry as the two of them walked towards the middle of the pitch.

"You were fantastic," Harry replied. 

"Really think so?"

"Yes," Harry said.

"Thanks, you were really great too, as were the girls. And I can't believe Fred scored!" Ron crowed. 

"That was fantastic!" Harry agreed. 

"After careful deliberation, we have decided on the 21 people that will continue to the next round," Dumbledore announced. Immediately everyone turned to look at the old wizard. 

"I will read the names, then I will tell you your groups," Dumbledore said. "Potter."

"Figures," Muttered Draco.

"Malfoy." Draco looked more than slightly pleased with him self.

"Arrogant shit," Astrid muttered from her seat next to Hermione.

"Chang, Derrick, Weasley, Weasley, Anderson, Gudgeon, Bole, Spinnet, Johnson, Bell, Brocklehurst, Alexander, Finch-Fletchley, Abbott, Boot, Warrington, Sanguinis, Pucey," Dumbledore paused for a moment. The look on Ron's face was of partial terror, partial confusion. He and the twins weren't quite sure which Weasleys Dumbledore had been talking about. "And Weasley." Dumbledore finished. A hand from Harry on his arm was the only thing keeping Ron from leaping straight into the air.

"Tact Ron, tact," Harry whispered. Ron nodded furiously.

"So then, group one consists of Potter, Derrick, Anderson, Spinnet, Brocklehurst, Abbott and Sanguinis. Group two is Malfoy, Fred, Gudgeon, Johnson, Alexander, Boot, and Pucey. Group three consists of Chang, George, Bole, Bell, Finch-Fletchley, Warrington, and Ron. Group three plays group one first. You have five minutes." Harry looked over to Alicia. She smiled at him.

"Great catch of the snitch last time, Harry," she said as he approached. 

"Thanks," Harry replied, "you did pretty well yourself." Alicia smiled sweetly at him.

"Hey Harry," Hannah said from just behind Harry. Harry turned to look at Hannah. 

"So what is the game plan?" Mandy asked.

"Score," Harry suggested. Alicia, Mandy and Hannah all laughed appreciatively. Carter and Derrick scowled at each other and William did a few basic stretches.

"So how is Weasley as a keeper?" Mandy asked. Hannah raised an eyebrow questioningly at her friend. 

"He's good," Alicia and Harry replied simultaneously. They looked at each other and laughed.

"Anything we should know about him?" Mandy asked.

"He's single," Harry laughed, raising an eyebrow in her general direction. She turned bright red and Harry's suspicions that she had been the other girl in the bathroom with Hannah on the first day of classes were instantly confirmed. 

"I think she means about his skills as a keeper," Hannah spat, with a slight smile at Harry.

"Oh, I wouldn't know," Harry laughed.

"He's a good keeper. Consecutive shots on extreme goals are way to get them past him," Alicia instructed. Mandy and Hannah both nodded.

"What about Bole?" Alicia asked Derrick.

"Why would I tell you, mudblood?" Derrick asked.

"I'll have you know that both of my parents are wizards!"

"Wizards?" Harry cracked.

"Okay, no. A witch and a wizard," Alicia corrected, "my uncles are the wizards."

"I should hope so," Carter laughed.

"Only one of them is any blood relation to me," Alicia said with a raised eyebrow in Carter's direction. By the time Carter had processed Alicia's statement, Dumbledore had called them all to the center of the field. 

"Good luck Hannah, Good luck Mandy," Harry said. Alicia glared at him.

"Good luck, Spinnet!"

"Good luck, Potter!" she replied, glaring at him with a smile on her face. Thomas looked at both of the groups. 

"On the count of three," He began.

"Three, two, one!" Sixteen people kicked into the air at the blast of Thomas's whistle. Ron and William took off towards their goals. Alicia grabbed the quaffle and took off after Ron. She pushed her broom to its limit and pulled up even with him. He didn't have time to stop and turn around before she flung the quaffle through the center hoop.

"Damnit Alicia!" he joked. She smiled sweetly at him. He threw the quaffle out to Katie. Alicia spun her broom and took off after Katie. Derrick and Carter both hit bludgers towards Katie. She passed the quaffle to Justin-Finch-Fletchley and easily dodged both bludgers. Justin tore towards William. Carter flew in front of him to chase after a bludger and George Weasley, so he tossed the quaffle to Casey Warrington. Derrick had possession of one of the bludgers, but, like Bole, he refused to hit it towards his fellow Slytherin. 

%%%%%

"What did you think?" Fred asked. He hopped off of his broom and sat down on the bench, squeezing himself a place between Ginny and Hermione. Hermione sniffed in his direction.

"I think you need a shower," she replied. He laughed and ran a hand through his sweaty red hair. 

"Thank you mum," he said, "I meant the goal!"

"Great!" Colin cried.

"Fantastic," Dennis added.

"Wonderful," Ginny said.

"Splendiferous even," Astrid deadpanned, with a smirk in Fred's direction. Fred reached around Hermione and tousled the little girls hair. Astrid looked towards the sky. "Thank goodness! He didn't spin me!" 

"Good job," Hermione said, lacing her fingers through Fred's. Fred blushed and smiled at her. 

"AWW!" Ginny and Astrid chorused. Fred smiled sweetly at Ginny and Astrid before dropping a kiss on Hermione's forehead. 

"So who do you think will make it past this round?" Fred asked.

"The Gryffindor team," the five friends chorused.

"You guys have that much faith in us?" Fred questioned.

"Fred, you pretty much solidified your spot on the team with that goal," Astrid said, rolling her eyes at Fred. 

"How did everyone else do?" 

"Pretty great," Ginny said.

"Harry probably needs to catch the snitch one more time for good measure," Astrid added. 

"I'll be sure to pass the message along," Fred laughed. 

"Shouldn't you be down there discussing tactics with your team?" Ginny asked.

"Let's see. We have three Slytherins. The girl, what's her name, Finney? She's so far stuck up Draco Malfoy's arse that she can't see straight. Pucey is a great git who is more concerned with hurting Warrington that playing Quidditch."

"Her name is Finley, and please, the mental image of anyone stuck up my brother's arse is a little harsh!" Astrid cried.

"Sorry, Astrid," Fred replied.

"What kind of parent names their child Finley?" Colin asked.

"Her mother was Juliet Finley before she became Juliet Alexander, so Finley got her mother's maiden name," Astrid explained. 

"You know them?" Ginny asked.

"Met them all at a party of father's this summer. She has an absolutely adorable baby sister, Sloane," Astrid said.

"What about the rest of your team?" Dennis asked, switching the subject back to Quidditch.

"Danny Gudgeon, George, Carter and I practiced together earlier this week, so he and I work together pretty well. Angelina, well, Angelina is just fabulous. I have no need to worry about her, and Terry. I think he barely made it past round one, but Angelina should make up for that easily enough," Fred laughed. 

"LOOK!" Ginny cried, pointing towards a spot near Ron's goals on the pitch. Hannah Abbott had the quaffle tucked under her right arm, zooming towards Ron. On either side of her, Bole and Casey Warrington flew straight at her.

"Oh my," came Hermione's only statement.

%%%%%

"HANNAH!" Harry screamed, but his attempt was futile. He was at their goals and she was on the other end of the field. He noticed Katie, Justin and Mandy flying frantically towards Hannah, and Cho screaming something from about 20 meters above Ron's goal. Hannah didn't notice the two large Slytherins flying straight towards her. George, beater bat in hand, took off after Bole despite the fact that they were supposed to be on the same team. Alicia, closest to Hannah finally realized what was happening and let out a shriek loud enough to wake the dead. Hannah flung her the quaffle but only just before Casey slammed into one side of her and Bole into the other. Two sickening cracks ensued and when the boys pulled away, Hannah slumped over her broom and started sliding to the left. Harry rocketed off towards Hannah as fast as the Firebolt would go, but she hit the ground before he could catch her. He and George almost collided in their attempts to keep Hannah from hitting the ground. 

"FOUL!" Thomas Watson cried. Harry hovered a little ways over Hannah. He couldn't get off of his broom, so he lay as close to the handle as he could and reached down to her. Her left arm was bent at a highly unnatural angle and her eyes were closed. 

"Hannah!" Harry called. He reached down and shook her right shoulder a little. He was vaguely aware of Alicia putting two goals home above him for the foul shots. 

"Hannah!" he called again. Her blue eyes fluttered open. 

"Wha-What happened?" she asked. "My arm feels funny."

"Your arm should feel funny," Harry replied, "you had a little run in with some great goons up there. He pointed to the goals, where her broom still hovered the goals. Hannah stretched to look past him.

"My ribs hurt too," she complained. 

"They should," He replied. He pushed her dusty blonde bangs out of her face.

"Okay. You go play, we've got a match to win," she instructed, sort of dizzily. "Someone will come take care of me." Harry sat up on his broom and looked up towards Hermione. He waved at her. She grabbed Ginny's hand and pulled her towards the stairs out of the stands.

"My friend Hermione is on her way down to help you," Harry said.

"Okay," Hannah said happily before her eyes fluttered shut again. "Harry? Could you get my broom for me?' 

"Sure thing, Hannah," he replied. He brushed her hair back again before turning back towards the game. 

"TIME!" Alicia screamed. Thomas blew his whistle and the remaining purple players gathered around Alicia.

"Is Hannah going to be able to come back?" Alicia asked.

"She fell off her broom," Mandy said.

"Oh yeah, that," Alicia said.

"And even if she hadn't, her arm is pretty screwed up," Harry said.

"So what are we going to do?" William asked. He looked ready to kill everyone who had started the trials wearing a green uniform, causing Derrick to skip the team meeting.

"Have you seen the snitch yet?" Alicia asked.

"Nope," Harry replied.

"What's the score?" William asked.

"30-40, them, and we've got about 6 minutes left," Alicia said.

"I'll take Hannah's place," Harry said.

"Are you sure?" Alicia asked.

"We'll do better without a seeker than we will without a chaser, especially against Katie and Finch-Fletchley," Harry reasoned.

"And with Ron as the keeper, there is no way we can pull it off with just two chasers," Mandy said.

"Reasonable," Alicia agreed. "But have you ever played chaser?"

"TIME IN!" Thomas cried. The players all flew back towards their positions. Alicia still looked imploringly at Harry for an answer.

"Nope!" he admitted with a smile. Alicia's eyes grew wide and her jaw dropped.

"Shut your mouth Alicia, I'm sure I can handle it," he scolded. She rolled her eyes and flew off towards Thomas. Thomas tossed the quaffle to Alicia and Alicia took off towards Ron's goals. Harry distanced himself off to her right side and flew along with her. Mandy chose to fly above Alicia. George cracked a bludger in Alicia's general direction, again, not meaning to hit her. Of course his aim was slightly off, but not enough to show that he wasn't really trying. Bole hit the other bludger towards Alicia. His aim was truer than George's. The bludger hit the twigs of Alicia's broom and she spun out of control, dropping the quaffle. Harry raced after it, but Katie beat him to it. Without another thought, she took off towards William. Cho still circled the pitch high above them, trying to see the snitch. A well directed bludger from Carter caused Katie to throw the quaffle to Justin. Both of the chasers ignored Casey for his part in what happened to Hannah. Justin caught the quaffle easily and continued towards William. Harry was almost sure he noticed a smile pass between William and Justin seconds before Justin flung the quaffle directly into William's hands. Bole hovered with his back to William about 15 meters away. William flung the quaffle as hard as he could directly at Bole. It bounced off of the Slytherin's head and fell directly into Harry's luckily waiting hands. 

"FOR HANNAH!" William screamed. Harry pushed the Firebolt and spun to head towards Ron. Bole rubbed the back of his head and tried to figure out what had hit him. George cracked a bludger in Harry's general direction, but more at Bole. 

"GO HARRY!" Alicia and Mandy, as well as a familiar but unidentified female voice, all screamed. Harry quickly registered the voice as Astrid's as he got closer to Ron's goals. Harry became vaguely aware of Alicia flying behind him, so he flew straight towards Ron and stopped. Ron prepared himself for the shot, so Harry acted as though he was going to throw the quaffle through the right goal, but instead flung the ball blindly backwards over his head and rushed to get out of the scoring area.

"GOAL! ALICA SPINNET WITH AN ASSIST BY HARRY POTTER!" Dumbledore cried. Harry flew over and gave Alicia a high five. Ron scowled at both of them. Alicia waved sweetly at him. 

"Great job, Harry!" Alicia cried. 

"Not to bad yourself," Harry replied before flying back towards the game.

%%%%%

"I can't believe Harry and Alicia pulled that off!" Ginny squealed.

"Is it that hard?" Astrid asked.

"Fred and George have tried it in the orchard more times than I can count. They're twins. They're supposed to have some sort of freaky connection and they can't even manage to pull that one off," Ginny said.

"They can't?" Astrid asked.

"Nope. George usually throws it weird and Fred can't get to it." Ginny said.

"How is Hannah?" Colin asked. Ginny had just arrived back into the stands from helping Hermione with Hannah. 

"Hermione's fixing her," Ginny replied.

"Hermione knows about medi-magic?" Dennis asked.

"She's probably read several books on it," Ginny explained. Astrid, Colin and Dennis all laughed appreciatively. 

"Do you think the two guys that hit her will make it past this round?" Dennis asked when the laugher subsided.

"Nope," Astrid replied rather definitively. 

"Why not?" Colin asked.

"Dumbledore won't let them," Astrid replied. 

"You really think so?" Ginny asked, as Harry and Alicia assisted Mandy in putting another quaffle past Ron. 

"Of course. He's not going to let people on the team who will do that to their own teammates, and do you really see Bole being able to beat Fred and George?" Astrid asked.

"But what about Warrington, he is their captain, after all," Ginny said.

"Only because Draco's a fifth year," Astrid replied. "Casey really isn't that good. In fact, I'd say Finley is probably better than Casey."

"She's only a fourth year!" Ginny cried.

"Harry was a first year when he made the team," Colin countered.

"Harry is a special case," Astrid replied. 

"Always," Ginny laughed. 

%%%%%

"AND GROUP ONE WINS WITH A SCORE OF 70-40!" Dumbledore cried, "Groups two and three are up next". Harry landed his broom on the pitch and was almost immediately knocked over by a ferocious hug from Alicia.

"Harry, you were great!" she cried. 

"Fantastic!" Mandy agreed, she patted Harry on his back. 

"You all were awesome too," Harry said. He pulled away from Alicia and started over to where Hermione and Hannah were sitting on the sidelines.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I'm doing alright," Hannah replied weakly. Harry sank onto the grass next to her.

"I think she broke her elbow and some ribs," Hermione said.

"Why don't you go see Madame Pomfrey?" Harry asked, eyeing the bandage Hermione had fashioned to hold Hannah's hurt elbow to her side and bind her ribs all at once. 

"I want to see the rest of the trial," Hannah explained.

"Evidently Quidditch craziness isn't totally a guy problem," Hermione muttered.

"I heard that," Harry and Hannah both spat.

"You were supposed to," Hermione said.

"I'm not going to make the team," Hannah said. Harry dropped his arm around her shoulders.

"You always have next year," he said.

"But I wanted to make the team this year!" Hannah insisted.

"If it makes you feel any better, I doubt Bole and Warrington will be allowed to continue with the tryouts," Harry said. 

"Neither will I," Hannah complained. 

"At least you didn't sink to the level of cheating and hurting other people," Hermione said.

"Did you notice? George, Katie, Cho and Justin were all trying to stop them, and they're on the same team," Harry laughed. Hannah smiled lazily at Harry.

"Did they really?" she asked.

"Yep," Harry replied, "Cho, Katie and Justin were all screaming, and George took off after Bole."

"He did?"

"I think he was going to rip Bole's head off with the beater bat if he had caught him," Hermione laughed.

"I would have paid to have seen that," Hannah said. She leaned her head back against Harry's arm. "What about Ron?"

"He looked a little torn between protecting the goals and protecting you," Harry admitted.

"I don't blame him," Hannah said. Hermione and Harry shared a smile over the top of Hannah's head. 

"Are you sure you don't want to go up to Madame Pomfrey?" Hermione asked Hannah.

"I'm sure. I want to stay and see who makes the team besides Harry and Fred," Hannah said.

"What makes you so sure they're going to make it?" Hermione asked.

"They've both either scored or had assists and they're not chasers," Hannah explained logically. 

"Do you really think that's what it will take?" Hermione asked.

"Yes," Hannah replied. 

"So if Ron wants to make it, he shouldn't play keeper in the next match?" Hermione asked.

"If he scored from keeper, that would be something," Hannah laughed. She tried to adjust the position she was sitting in, but winced in pain instead.

"Are you SURE a trip to Madame Pomfrey wouldn't be a good idea?" Harry asked.

"Mmmhhhmmm," Hannah said through clenched teeth. She nodded vigorously to accent her positive reply. Harry glanced at Hermione over Hannah's head. Hermione looked slightly worried about Hannah. Harry noticed Alicia waving at him from the other side of the field, where the rest of the team was gathered.

"I think Alicia wants me over there," Harry said, pulling his arm away from Hannah. He picked up her broom and handed it to her. "Here is your broom."

"Thanks, Harry," Hannah said weakly. 

"No problem," Harry said. With that, Harry grabbed his broom and headed over to where Alicia, Carter Mandy and William were standing.

"What are we going to do for the match against group two?" Alicia asked before Harry really got to the group.

"Shall I continue to play chaser?" Harry suggested.

"How is Hannah?" Mandy asked.

"She's alright. She needs to go to Madame Pomfrey, but she won't," Harry said.

"That's stubborn Hannah for you," Mandy laughed.

"Why won't she go?" Alicia asked.

"Probably a cross between not wanting to miss the rest of the trials and not liking Madame Pomfrey," Mandy said.

"Not liking Madame Pomfrey?" Alicia asked.

"Hannah has an interest in medi-magic and is convinced a lot of Madame Pomfrey's methods are old and outdated," Mandy explained. 

"So we're going to play without a seeker again then?" Carter asked.

"We have no choice," Alicia said, "They have Angelina. We're hopeless without three chasers."

"They have Angelina. We have me. I think we're hopeless anyway!" Harry said.

"Finley isn't bad either," Derrick mumbled.

"You're finally going to talk to us?" William asked.

"I feel bad about what happened to that girl. Bole and Casey should have never done that," Derrick said.

"So they've got two good chasers and we have a seeker turned Chaser," Harry said. 

"Seems like it," Mandy said, "We'll just have to make the best of it."

"How is Pucey as a keeper?" Alicia ventured to ask Derrick.

"Couldn't tell you. He's been more concerned with killing Casey Warrington in practice than actually being a keeper," Derrick replied. 

"Danny Gudgeon?" Harry asked William.

"Danny is pretty good. Not as good as Weasley though," William said.

"Which Weasley?" Alicia laughed.

"Take your pick," William replied. 

"AND CHO CHANG HAS THE SNITCH! GROUP THREE WINS! 240-40!" Dumbledore cried. 

"Oh no," muttered Harry.

"What is it?" Alicia asked.

"Malfoy, Cho and I have all caught the snitch. If I don't catch the snitch in this match, I might not advance!" Harry said quietly to Alicia. 

"Play chaser like we decided," Alicia instructed. "That proves you're a team player." Harry nodded and headed towards the middle of the field with the rest of his group. 

"Hey Alicia," Harry said.

"Yeah," Alicia asked. Harry held out the Firebolt. 

"Take this, you might need it to keep up with Angelina," Harry said. During their previous practice the twins had decided they needed a break. Harry had allowed everyone to take turns flying the Firebolt, so Alicia was familiar with the broom's handling.

"Seriously?" Alicia asked.

"Do you think it would help you?" Harry asked.

"Puts me at a distinct advantage now doesn't it, but what about you?" Alicia said, looking down at the Cleansweep Seven she clutched in her fist. Harry looked over to Ron. Ron had noticed what was transpiring between Alicia and Harry. He wordlessly held out his Nimbus to Harry.

"_Accio Nimbus_," Harry muttered, holding his hand out towards Ron's broom. The broom jerked from Ron's hand and flew into Harry's

"Ron's letting me borrow his," Harry said with a smile. Alicia took the Firebolt from Harry, a huge grin on her face. 

"You do realize you just summoned Ron's broom without your wand," she said. Harry looked down at the black broom in his hand.

"I guess I did," He admitted.

"On the sound of my whistle," Thomas began. Alicia dropped her Cleansweep and mounted the Firebolt. Harry climbed onto the Nimbus and Thomas issued a shrill blast from his whistle. Again, sixteen figures kicked off. 

The next ten minutes comprised some of the most intense Quidditch Harry had ever played. It turned into a battle between Alicia and Angelina, mostly. Finley contributed a few goals for Group two, and Mandy contributed two for Group one. Harry mostly flew around and alternated between moving the quaffle up the field for his team, and looking for the snitch. Draco circled the pitch from above like an overgrown bird of prey. Luckily enough, the snitch decided not to show up. 

In the end, Alicia on Harry's Firebolt beat Angelina on her Nimbus, but only by one goal. At the end of ten minutes, Group one had 100 points while Group two had 90. Harry landed his broom and tripped off of it trying to get to Alicia.

"Alicia, that was fabulous!" he cried. 

"Thanks to you!" Alicia screamed. She jumped into Harry's arms.

"I wasn't the one who scored eight goals by myself," Harry replied.

"But it was because of this fabulous broom," Alicia replied. Harry hugged her tightly. 

"You just need to do that again in our match against Slytherin," Harry replied.

"If Angelina and I could both have repeat performances of this match every time we played this year, we'd be practically unbeatable!" Alicia laughed. 

"I'd say so," Harry said, "especially when you get Katie back with you and people you're comfortable with playing with." Alicia smiled broadly at him. 

"Thanks," she said. She handed him his broom.

"No problem," Harry replied. He turned to find Ron, but didn't have to look far. Ron had appeared right behind Harry. Harry handed Ron his broom.

"Thanks man," he said.

"No problem, you guys helped me out a lot!" Ron cried, taking the broom from Harry.

"How so?" Alicia asked.

"You pretty much made Pucey look like a moron," Ron said, smiling at Alicia. Alicia grinned back at him.

"Everyone over here!" Dumbledore called, "We've made our decisions on the final round!" All of the players hurried over to where Dumbledore stood. Harry noticed that even Hannah had made it over.

"First of all, there are a few points I feel need to be awarded," Dumbledore said.

"10 points each to your respective houses for Cho Chang, George Weasley, Katie Bell and Justin Finch-Fletchley for putting aside differences in teams and remembering that this is just a game," Dumbledore said. Cho, George, Katie and Justin all looked quite proud of themselves. 

"Right then, the people who advance to the next round," Dumbledore said, looking down at his list. "Potter, Chang, Malfoy," he began reading. Harry looked over at Ron with a terrified look on his face. All three remaining seekers had made it to the final round. Ron shrugged and turned back to Dumbledore.

"Weasley, Weasley, Weasley, Gudgeon, Derrick, Alexander, Bell, Spinnet, Johnson, Finch-Fletchley, and Sanguinis," Dumbledore said. Confused looks abounded. Dumbledore had named three seekers, four beaters, five chasers and two keepers.

"Now I warned you that some of you would find yourselves playing an unfamiliar position, and some of you already have," Dumbledore said, "and more of you will. Group one consists of Potter, Fred, Ron, Alexander, Johnson, Finch-Fletchley, and Malfoy. Group two is Chang, the remaining Weasley, Gudgeon, Derrick, Bell, Spinnet and Sanguinis." Only then did the Gryffindor team realize that all seven of them were still in the trial. Only three Hufflepuffs, three Slytherins, and one Ravenclaw remained. Fred and George would more than likely get their wish of having a majority Gryffindor team. 

"Teams, you have 15 minutes to prepare before the final 20 minute match," Dumbledore said. He smiled benevolently at them all and the student's split up into their distinct groups. Harry, Fred, Ron, Finley, Angelina, Justin and Draco started towards their end of the pitch.

"What are we going to do?" Harry asked Fred. All of the Gryffindors instantly turned to Fred as an authority figure.

"We've got one beater and two seekers," Fred said, "So which of you wants to play beater?" Fred asked Draco and Harry.

"Not me!" Draco insisted.

"Harry played chaser for a match and a half last round," Angelina argued, glaring down at Draco. 

"That concerns me how?" Draco asked.

"He played chaser because of two of your Slytherin goons," Fred said.

"I'm still not seeing how this has anything to do with me being a beater," Draco spat.

"Draco, be reasonable," Finley warned, "The only way you're going to have a chance is to act like you like these people and attempt to get along." Draco glared down at the fourth year.

"Get along with Gryffindors?" Draco asked. Finley glared at him coldly. Draco glared back, equally menacingly. 

"Yes," she said.

"So what are we going to do?" Fred asked.

"Someone needs to come up with something reasonable," Justin declared.

"Can any of you play any positions besides the ones you play?" Finley asked.

"Harry, before you say anything, your chasers skills aren't really up to par," Angelina said with a grin in Harry's direction. 

"Astrid said you played keeper," Ron muttered in Draco's direction. 

"You've been TALKING to my SISTER!" Draco roared. 

"They're in the same house, what would you expect?" Finley asked, placing her hand on Draco's arm to stop him from ripping Ron's throat out. 

"He's been talking to my sister," Draco said to Finley. Finley turned to Ron. "Yes, Draco is Slytherin's reserve keeper." Angelina, Fred, and Harry all caught onto Ron's train of thought and turned to him with amazed smiles on their faces. He scowled back at them. Finley seemed to have a clue as to what was happening and she smiled at Draco.

"Someone care to tell me what's going on?" Justin asked.

"Are you willing to do that?" Harry asked Ron.

"You're more used to playing with Ginny," Fred pointed out. 

"Would you rather work with a Weasley or a Malfoy?" Angelina asked Fred.

"True," Fred said. 

"Hello?!" Justin asked. Draco and Ron looked like they were trying to Avada Kedavra the other with their eyes. 

"Come on, Ron," Fred said.

"Be reasonable, Draco," Finley said. 

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!" Justin cried.

"The war of the stubborn arses," Finley replied, glaring at Justin. Justin closed his mouth and took a few steps back from the group. Ron finally nodded his head.

"I'll do it," he said.

"You'll do what?" Justin ventured to ask.

"If he's willing to play keeper, then I'll play beater," Ron said, glaring in Draco's direction. Finley, Harry, Fred, Angelina and Justin all turned to look at Draco. Draco crossed his arms across his chest defiantly and took a step back from the group.

"Why do I have to do this?" he asked. 

"Because you want to make the damned team, Draco," Finley said, glaring at Draco. 

"Why can't Potter play a different position?" Draco asked.

"Didn't you see me playing chaser?" Harry asked, attempting to make a joke of the situation. No one laughed. Finley winked at the Gryffindors before turning to fully face Draco. 

"Because you're a bigger person if you do this," she said. Ron started to jump towards Finley, but Harry and Fred held him back. 

"Shut up Ron, or he won't go along with her," Fred hissed. 

"I'll do it then," Draco said, seemingly pleased with the prospect of being better at something than Harry. 

"Thank you," Harry said. 

"Who do you think they'll pick as their third chaser?" Fred asked, looking over to the other team. A heated battle between George, Danny Gudgeon, and Derrick was taking place. 

"It's not going to matter," Draco said.

"Why not?" Finley asked.

"Because if I've gotta play keeper, those fuckers aren't going to score on me." Draco explained. Ron stepped towards Draco again but Harry and Fred held him back. 

"Let him be a cocky bastard. He'll probably try harder if he thinks he has something to prove," Fred whispered to his temperamental younger brother. 

"He's going to need to try against 'Licia and Katie," Angelina added. 

"You're the bigger person for doing this without being forced or tricked," Harry said. He dropped his hold on Ron's arm. 

"One problem guys," Ron said.

"What's that?" Fred asked.

"My bat is in Gryffindor tower," Ron said.

"No it's not," a small voice from just behind them said. They all turned to see Astrid Malfoy standing there with Ron's beater bat in her hands.

"How did you get that?" Ron asked.

"I figured you might need it when I heard the teams announced, so I asked Dumbledore if I could fly Hannah's broom up to the castle to get it," she explained. 

"Astrid, you're the greatest!" Ron said, leaning down towards the younger girl.

"Ron, if you touch me, you may very well die," Astrid said, peeking around Ron to where her older brother stood.

"Oh, right," Ron said. He took the bat from the girl. 

"Thanks," the four Gryffindors chorused to their younger housemate. She smiled at them and ran back towards the stands to re-join Dennis, Colin and Ginny. 

"You did it again," Draco said, his voice quietly menacing.

"Draco, if you say another word to him," Finley began.

"You'll do what?" Draco asked.

"This," Finley replied. She brought the twigs of her broom down over Draco's head. Draco's scowl turned into a smirk and he turned to Finley.

"You're going to get it later," he laughed. The four bewildered Gryffindors looked at each other. Justin stepped up to them.

"I heard she likes him and he doesn't mind her too much," he said. The four Gryffindors all rolled their eyes, amazed that anyone could like Draco Malfoy. 

"He must," Harry said. He cringed at the thought of what would happen to anyone else if they tried to hit Draco with a broom. Of course, pretty much anyone else who hit Draco with a broom wouldn't do it quite so playfully. The hit would more than likely end with a broken broom or a broken Draco. Maybe both. Thomas Watson summoned the two teams to the middle of the pitch with a sharp blast on his whistle. They lined up across from each other. Every player wore looks of grim determination on their faces. Every player, except for Draco, that is. Draco looked generally irate at having to play keeper. 

"On the count of three," Thomas said, looking at both teams.

"One… Two… THREE!" For the ninth time that night, sixteen brooms kicked into the air. 

"And they're off!" Dumbledore cried. Katie immediately grabbed the quaffle and took off towards Draco. Harry noticed that Derrick had been chosen as the third chaser for the other team. He shuddered to think of what would happen if he and Draco failed to make the team. Both of them would blame it on not being able to play their usual positions during the last round of the trial. Harry banished the thoughts from his mind and took his customary position high above the action. He began circling the pitch, looking for the snitch. Cho did the same, only she circled in the opposite direction so they passed each other twice on every circuit. Katie passed the quaffle to Alicia who took a shot on the left goal. Draco stretched almost off of his broom and caught the ball in both hands. He threw it out to Finley, who shot towards William. Fred and Ron had fallen into a routine quite comparable to Fred and George's usual. They had no discretion in where they hit the bludgers. Katie and Alicia were just as likely as Derrick to be a target for a bludger, and the brothers' aims were much more accurate than they had been. George was equally unafraid of cracking bludgers at Angelina, his girlfriend. However, he failed to stop Angelina from tossing one past William. William tossed the quaffle to Alicia and she started towards the other end of the field. She passed to Katie and Katie took a shot on Draco. Draco knocked it away and Alicia grabbed the rebound. Draco also blocked Alicia's shot. 

Fifteen minutes later, Harry was still circling the pitch. The score was 30-0. Angelina had scored three on William, but no one had been able to get a quaffle past Draco, despite close to 15 attempts. The Weasley brothers had all made it hard on everyone with their well-placed bludgers. Harry noticed something gold shimmering about 20 meters off to his left. Cho was on the opposite side of the field, so Harry quickly flew over and grabbed the snitch.

"Harry Potter has the snitch and Hogwarts has its new Quidditch team!" Dumbledore cried. Slowly, all sixteen brooms sank to the ground. The two teams dismounted and went to the center of the field. They had been about equal in play, so no one was quite sure who would make the team. Draco Malfoy was especially worried. Cho hadn't given Harry much competition for the snitch. 

"Harry, you were wonderful!" Hannah cried. She and Hermione approached the group of players.

"Thanks," Harry said.

"I would hug you, but," Hannah began. She finished her sentence with a look down at her bandaged arm and ribs. Harry dropped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. 

"We've made our decision," Dumbledore announced.

"That was quick," Ron muttered.

"This years Hogwarts School Quidditch team will consist of," Dumbledore began. "No wait. Before I announce that, I should thank you all for coming out for the trial. You all played wonderfully. Secondly, I need to speak with Miss Granger after the announcement!" Hermione looked slightly surprised.

"And lastly, I just want to say that this has been a hard decision on all of our parts, but we think we've made the best choice based on what we've seen out here today." Everyone in the group looked very impatient at Dumbledore's stalling. 

"So the school team will have Harry Potter as the Seeker!" Hannah slung her good arm around Harry's waist and pulled him into an awkward hug. Cho smiled at him from across the group, and Malfoy looked ready to snap his Nimbus in half. "The beaters for this year will be George Weasley." Dumbledore paused for a minute and Fred and George shared a nervous glance. No one ever listed George before Fred. "And Fred Weasley!" No one, that is, except Dumbledore. The twins exchanged a high five. Ron threw his arms happily around both of them. Fred pulled away from Ron and searched the crowd for Hermione.

"The chasers will be Alicia Spinnet!" 

"We've got a Gryffindor majority!" Harry heard one of the Weasley twins mutter.

"Angelina Johnson." Harry noticed the three chasers all holding tightly to the others hands off to the side of the group. Alicia and Angelina didn't look happy about making the team, just worried for Katie.

"And Katie Bell!" Dumbledore finished. The three girls jumped into a three-way hug. Ron began shaking his head and looking at the ground.

"What's wrong?" George asked.

"The entire Gryffindor team making it would be too good to be true," he muttered.

"The reserves for this team will be Ron Weasley and William Sanguinis!" Dumbledore announced. Ron looked excitedly at his brothers.

"I'm a reserve!" He whispered excitedly. 

"So who is the keeper?" William asked loudly.

"I'm pleased to announce that the keeper for the years Hogwarts Quidditch team is Draco Malfoy!" Dumbledore said. Draco looked positively stunned. Finley jumped into his arms and although he made no move to catch her, she held on to him and planted a kiss right on his cheek. 

"Thank you all again for trying out," Dumbledore said. He quieted his voice and started back towards the castle. 

"I will announce your first practice at breakfast on Monday after I speak with your coach," he called over his shoulder. Madame Hooch and Thomas Watson joined Dumbledore in his walk back to the castle. 

"WE DID IT!" George and the chasers screamed. They ran over to Harry and grabbed him in a massive group hug. Hannah only just stepped out of the way. Harry noticed Fred and Hermione snogging off to the side, and Ron, Ginny and Astrid jumping around in circles squealing. 

"Congratulations, Harry," Hannah said after the Gryffindor/Hogwarts team had finally untangled themselves from each other.

"Come on, I'll walk you to the hospital wing," Harry replied. He draped his arm around her shoulder and they started off towards the castle. 


	16. Chapter 16

I own the plot and a couple of characters. That's about it. JKR owns the rest.

Natalie, my *see lists of titles in chapters 14 and 15*, rocks. 

Thanks for the reviews.

This is a slightly shorter chapter. I figured you all would be appreciative after the massive chapter 15.

That being said:

*****

"Do you know what Dumbledore wanted to see Hermione about?" Harry asked Hannah as the two made their way up to the castle. 

"Nope," Hannah replied. She leaned heavily on Harry as they walked.

"How do you feel?" Harry asked.

"Pretty rotten," Hannah admitted.

"I'm sorry. Those goons should have been stopped," Harry said.

"Oh don't worry, I'm sure Danny and William will get them back when we play them during the inter-house match," Hannah said. Harry laughed. Hannah attempted to laugh also, but ended up clutching her hurt ribs with her good arm.

"Okay, no more laughing," Harry said. Hannah smiled weakly at him. 

"Oh, Harry? I talked to Snape in potions the other day," Hannah said as Harry pulled open the door to the castle.

"What did he say?" Harry asked.

"He agreed to letting us interview him and we have a meeting with him on Tuesday afternoon," Hannah said, "since none of us have a class then."

"Sounds good," Harry said. He wrapped his arm tighter around her shoulder and they started up the stairs toward the hospital wing. 

%%%%%

"Miss Granger, it has been brought to my attention that you helped heal Hannah Abbott after her most unfortunate accident on the Quidditch pitch earlier today," Dumbledore began. 

"Well yes. I read a few books on medi-magic this summer and figured I could use some of the stuff I learned on Hannah," Hermione explained.

"How would you like to begin studying medi-magic with Madame Pomfrey a few nights a week?" Dumbledore asked. 

"Well," began Hermione.

"Your times will only be scheduled on those nights Harry and Ron have Quidditch practice," Dumbledore interrupted. He answered Hermione's question before she asked it.

"But why sir?" Hermione asked. "When I was talking to Hannah on the pitch, she expressed an interest in medi-magic," Dumbledore said.

"Yes, I realize Miss Abbott's desire to study at St. Mungo's after Hogwarts and eventually become a doctor, but I believe you're the student for this specific job."

"What job?" Hermione asked.

"A stipulation of the Inner-School Quidditch league is that each team have a team trainer of sorts. This trainer needs to be trained in medi-magic. The trainer will also act as a manager of sorts, and will travel with the team. The trainer will be responsible for equipment, water bottles, and attending the majority of the practices," Dumbledore explained.

"Professor Dumbledore, with all due respect, I don't think I have time for all of that," Hermione said, "And I don't want a repeat of third year."

"Understandable," Dumbledore said. 

"At the same time, I think if I could have an assistant, I would be able to at least to the medi-magic bit," Hermione bargained.

"Who would you suggest as an assistant?" Dumbledore asked. Hermione thought for a moment, quite unnecessarily though.

"Ginny Weasley," she replied.

"Excellent choice, Miss Granger. I shall inform Miss Weasley of her appointment now," Dumbledore said. He started off towards the group of still-celebrating Gryffindors gathered at the center of the pitch. Hermione smiled slightly to her self. Ginny would get to see Braeden if the team had to travel to France. 

%%%%%

"Miss Weasley, may I speak with you for a moment?" Professor Dumbledore asked. Ginny stepped away from her friends and over to Dumbledore.

"The rest of you students need to head back to the castle," Professor Dumbledore told the celebrating group. The Gryffindors slowly started up towards the castle, with Fred and George running ahead of everyone else.

"I suspect they'll be terrorizing the house elves before long," Dumbledore muttered to himself. 

"You needed to see me?" Ginny asked.

"Yes. I was wondering if you would like to act as the manager for the school Quidditch team," Dumbledore offered.

"What would that entail?" Ginny asked.

"Attending most of the practices and all of the matches to deal with equipment, water bottles, uniforms and the like," Dumbledore explained. 

"All of the matches?" Ginny asked.

"Yes," Dumbledore replied.

"Even the ones where they travel?" Ginny asked.

"Yes," Dumbledore said.

"The one in France?" Ginny questioned. 

"Of course," Dumbledore laughed.

"OF COURSE I'LL DO IT!" Ginny squealed.

"Miss Granger seemed to think you would. You and she will actually share the position," Dumbledore explained.

"Thank you SO much professor!" Ginny cried.

"Just keep your grades up, Miss Weasley," Dumbledore instructed. 

"Don't worry, I will," Ginny said.

"Now go owl Mr. Granger!" Dumbledore said with a benevolent smile.

"Of course," Ginny squealed. She turned on her heel and took off towards the castle at a full run. 

%%%%%

"Congratulations," Keiran said stoically, extending his hand to his older brother. Draco, Finley, and the rest of the Slytherin team and spectators had just entered the common room.

"Thank you Keiran, why weren't you at the trial?" Draco asked.

"I was playing with some puppies I found," Keiran explained.

"Playing?" Draco asked, raising a quizzical eyebrow at his brother.

"Playing," Keiran reiterated with an evil smile. Draco closed his eyes and shook his head at his younger brother. 

"Those Gryffindors didn't give you much trouble did they?" Keiran asked.

"Nothing he couldn't handle," Finley said, dragging a finger up Draco's forearm and letting her hand come to rest at his elbow. Keiran scowled at her.

"Are you pureblooded?" Keiran asked.

"Yes," Finley replied, "Would you like to see my pedigree?"

"Tact, Keiran, tact!" Draco spat, glaring at his brother.

"I have no reason to be tactful," Keiran replied. 

"Yes you do," Draco replied.

"I do?" Keiran asked.

"Lucius," Draco said. 

"Lucius won't find out," Keiran replied, glaring menacingly at Draco. 

"Come on Draco, lets leave the snot master alone," Finley said, pulling Draco over towards a group of fourth and fifth years. 

"Finley, I'd watch what you say about Keiran," Draco warned.

"Why?" Finley asked.

"Just do it," Draco commanded.

"Have you thought anymore about Hogsmeade?" Finley asked.

"Yes," Draco said.

"And?" Finley asked. 

"DRACO!" Pansy cried she ran over to where he and Finley stood and grabbed his other arm. 

"Pansy," Draco said, slightly less enthusiastically. 

"Come on, I want to hear your side of the story!" she insisted. She pulled him towards the group. Finley trailed after them only because her arm was still linked with Draco's. 

"And then five of them flew in at me at once!" Pucey exclaimed. He was in the middle of telling the story of his trial. "Five of them at once. And they hit both bludgers at me and two of the chasers came after me also, but I still managed to stop the quaffle!" Draco rolled his eyes.

"I scored while hanging from my broom by my left pinky," Casey Warrington insisted. 

"What about you, Blaisey?" Karen asked. She had carefully situated herself on Blaise's lap. Taylor lounged in the floor next to the chair carefully examining her forest green nails. 

"I scored 14 goals in one game," Blaise said easily.

"How did we get into a house with such a bunch of liars?" Draco asked Finley. Finley shrugged. The group looked at Bole next.

"I mashed a mudblood," Bole said dumbly. 

"And that's the truth," Finley whispered to Draco.

"What about you, Draco?" Pansy cooed. She had been taking pages out of "How to Attract Guys" by Taylor Nott and Karen Moon. Blaise Zabini's permanent "single" relationship status stood as the only review the book needed. 

"I kept the other team scoreless in one match," Draco said proudly.

"Like hell you did. You're a seeker, man!" Casey cried.

"Are you daft?" Pucey asked. 

"Even your friends don't believe you," Keiran taunted from just behind Draco. Draco had to resist the sudden urge to stomp on Keiran. 

"Don't worry about it, Draco, they're dumb if they don't believe you," Finley assured him. Pansy pulled Draco down onto a couch next to her. Finley sat on the other side of Draco.

"How did the damned Gryffindors get all of the positions?" Casey asked. 

"They didn't," Finley said.

"I don't see you as a member of the Hogwarts school team," Casey spat.

"Draco is, though," Finley replied, glaring at Casey. 

"Keeper," Pansy added, smiling at Draco. 

"I say we need to retaliate against the Gryffindors!" Casey declared.

"Retaliate!" Pucey echoed. For once, he wasn't trying to remove Casey's head from its shoulders. 

"I've got a plan. Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, Nott, and Malfoy, come with me," Casey insisted. 

"Captain Death Eater calls, I must go," Draco whispered to Finley. Finley rolled her eyes at Draco. Keiran already was following Casey eagerly across the common room. Crabbe and Goyle lumbered lazily after Keiran and Taylor looked torn between joining the group on the other side of the common room and leaving Karen with Blaise. 

"I simply must get daddy to hurry up with that damned tattoo so I can get an invite to those meetings!" Pansy said conspiratorially to Finley. Finley rolled her eyes at Pansy and sank back into the couch. 

*****

"WWWWEEEEEEEEE DDDDDIIIIIIIIIIIDDDDDDDDD IIIIIITTTTTTTTTTT!" Fred Weasley screamed. He ran into the common room his arms full of sweets from the kitchens. George was right on his heels with a Gryffindor banner streaming over his head. Ron and Harry were just behind the twins with Ron's Quidditch cloak held between them, filled with food. Angelina, Katie and Alicia all jumped from their seats on the couch. Angelina dived into George's arms. Fred dropped the sweets onto a table and jumped onto Katie. Katie fell to the floor, and Alicia jumped on top of Fred. George deposited Angelina on top of Katie before hopping into the pile himself. Harry and Ron emptied the cloak onto the table before Harry propelled himself to the very top of the pile of Quidditch players. 

"INCOMING!" Ron cried. He acted like he was going to jump onto the group. As the largest of the group, he was the last person they all wanted on top of them. Instantly, all three girls squealed, and Fred and George rolled out of the way. Harry, unable to get out of the way because of all of the movement below him, threw both hands over his head. The person hit him in the stomach with a lot less force than he would expect Ron to have. He uncovered his head and found Astrid sitting on his stomach smiling at him.

"Astrid Malfoy!" Harry exclaimed. Astrid smiled at him before jumping up and running over to Ron. They exchanged a high for Astrid, low for Ron five and smiled at each other. 

"GUESS WHAT!" Hermione cried. She tore into the tower with Ginny on her heels.

"YOU GOT AN OWL FROM BRAEDEN!" Ron squealed in Ginny's direction. 

"EVEN BETTER!" Ginny shouted.

"YOU GET TO GO TO OUR AWAY MATCH WITH US!" Fred cried.

"AND IT'S IN FRANCE!" added George. 

"YES!" Hermione and Ginny shrieked at the same time. 

"Ginny, that's great!" Fred said. He ran over and threw is arms around his sister.

"Hey wait, what about me?" Hermione asked, stomping her foot indignantly. 

"YOU GET TO GO TOO?" Fred asked.

"Do I usually run around the common room squealing like a little girl?" Hermione countered. Fred let go of Ginny and ran over to Hermione.

"We're the trainer and manager," Hermione explained. Fred grabbed Hermione into a fierce hug culminating with a kiss on her forehead.

"AWW!" chorused Parvati and Lavender. 

"We get to go to France!" Fred whispered excitedly to Hermione. 

"Même je dois employer les bruits de salle de bains romantiques une fois dit en français," Hermione replied.

"I don't know what you just said, but it makes me want to do this," Fred said. He captured Hermione's lips in a kiss. 

"What did she say?" Ron asked Ginny, who was trying, albeit unsuccessfully, to stifle her laughter.

"Even I need to use the bathroom sounds romantic when said in French," Ginny whispered. Ron turned bright red. 

"I think you boys have been a bad influence on her," Ginny said. Ron smiled down at his sister. From somewhere in the corner, music erupted loudly. Dean and Seamus had nicked Lavender and Parvati's Wizards Wireless and set it up in the corner. Immediately, several couples, including Fred and Hermione, began dancing. Ron wandered over to the snack table and picked up an éclair. 

"You and Astrid are not funny," Harry said from where he leaned against the snack table.

"We were amused," Ron replied. 

"As well we should be," Astrid agreed from her perch on the arm of the couch. 

"Shove it, little Malfoy," Harry laughed.

"Harry, we went over this. Little Malfoy is Keiran for all purposes this year," Astrid said. 

"And we'll have to amend that again next year won't we?" Harry asked.

"Yes," Astrid laughed. 

"Hey Harry, want to dance?" Jae Lucas asked from just behind Harry.

"Um," Harry began.

"Go Harry," Astrid urged.

"Alright," Harry agreed. Jae pulled him towards the dance floor. 

"So who wins the award for the worst-dancing couple?" Astrid asked, jumping off of the couch and walking over to where Ron stood. She and Ron thoughtfully surveyed the dance floor.

"Why is Karey Finnegan dancing with Dean?" Ron asked. Astrid looked over to where Seamus's little sister and best friend were dancing a rather ungainly fast dance standing quite a ways away from each other.

"They're dancing together?" Astrid asked.

"I think so."

"Probably so Hailey can dance with Seamus," Astrid replied.

"What?" Ron asked.

"Hailey likes Seamus, so she and Karey hatched some sort of plan so that she could dance with him if there was a party tonight last night after we were supposed to be in bed," Astrid explained. 

"Well if Seamus is dancing with Hailey and Dean is dancing with Karey, what's saying I can't dance with you?" Ron asked with a laugh.

"Three things," Astrid replied.

"What?" Ron asked.

"Lucius, Draco, and Keiran," Astrid said.

"Do you see any of them?" Ron asked.

"Nope," Astrid replied.

"Then lets dance, chica," Ron said. He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the other fifth year boy/first year girl couples. 

She looked at him quizzically. "When did you learn Spanish?"

He grinned, "Picked up a bit from Angelina at practice. She spent the summer there." Astrid nodded and then they concentrated on dancing.

*****

"No Keiran, we're not putting any plans into action that involve eating spleens!" Draco snapped at his little brother. Keiran glared at Draco.

"Any other ideas?" Casey asked. The group of Slytherins had been holding council in the corner for the past forty-five minutes and had gotten absolutely nowhere in their planned revenge on the Gryffindors. Keiran opened his mouth to say something.

"No Keiran, releasing rabid gophers to gnaw on the Gryffindor team's man parts will not work," Draco said before Keiran could speak.

"Especially since half of the team is girls," Taylor said, glaring down at Keiran, "Why is he here anyway?" 

"I'm special!" Keiran said with a half cute, half menacing smile.

"None of us got to come to these meetings until this year," Taylor complained. 

"Taylor, don't ask questions. Know your role," Casey spat. Taylor glared at him. The look on Keiran's face became smug as he looked over at Taylor. Draco again had to resist the urge to step on his brother.

"Why couldn't you have been an identical twin?" Draco asked Keiran.

"Why?" Keiran asked, turning a glare to Draco.

"You could sneak into Gryffindor tower any time you liked if you and the traitor actually looked alike," Draco spat. 

"Wait," Keiran insisted. He pulled out his wand and pointed it as head. He muttered a charm and quickly enough, his hair was mid-back length and fluffy. 

"Hi, I'm Astrid," he lisped. "I'm a Gryffindor! I love Potter and Weasel!" 

"You do look like her when you do that," Draco laughed. Keiran changed his hair back to normal.

"Do you have a death wish, Draco?" he asked.

"No," Draco said.

"Well then don't say I look like the traitor," Keiran commanded. Draco glared at him but didn't say a word.

"Can this meeting be adjourned?" Taylor suggested, "We're not getting anywhere."

"And we're definitely making their stereotypes true," Draco agreed.

"How so?" Casey asked.

"Well were sitting in our dungeon plotting the demise of the Gryffindors aren't we?" Taylor replied.

"Just their Quidditch team," Casey reasoned. Taylor and Draco both glared at him.

"Keiran, what do you think?" Casey asked.

"Spleen," began Keiran.

"No spleens. About whether or not we should stop for the night," Casey amended.

"NEVER!" Keiran cried.

"Casey, Kei is being unreasonable," Draco said, glaring again at Casey. Keiran turned to Draco.

"Draco, dahling, do I need to tell these lovely people about that wonderful stuffed," began Keiran. Draco reached over and clamped his hand over his little brother's mouth.

"I say mutiny. Who is with me?" Taylor asked.

"Taylor, I'm too tired to mutiny," Goyle said lazily from the spot he had been in for the entire meeting. Draco suspected he'd been asleep. Draco and Crabbe both raised their hands.

"Okay, Casey. You can end this now, or we'll bind you," Taylor said, pulling out her wand.

"Meeting adjourned," Casey quickly replied. 

*****

"Hey Astrid, how's it going?" George asked, sinking onto the window seat next to the little girl. For the past fifteen minutes, Astrid had been curled into a ball staring out the window. In fact, she had taken her seat right after Fred and George had managed to single-handedly turn more than half of the occupants of Gryffindor tower into canaries. 

"Alright," Astrid replied. 

"Why haven't you been dancing?" George asked.

"Don't feel like it," Astrid replied.

"Why not?" George queried.

"Just don't," Astrid said.

"Okay, that's a good reason I suppose," George said.

"What did you need?" Astrid asked George. 

"Nothing" George admitted.

"Then why are you talking to me?" Astrid spat. For one of the first times since arriving in Gryffindor Tower, Astrid's Malfoy side showed. 

"Sorry," George said. He started to stand up.

"Do you ever wish you weren't a twin?" Astrid asked suddenly before he could leave. 

"Never," George admitted.

"Never?" asked Astrid. She turned to look at George. 

"Never," George said, "Fred is my other half. I wouldn't be complete without him."

"Must be nice," Astrid muttered.

"Is that what this is about?" George asked.

"What?" Astrid replied.

"You've been being a real arse to me and Fred lately," George said. Astrid raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well you have," George said, "ever since you decided you needed other friends, you're still really nice to Ron, Harry, Hermione and Ginny" 

"But I'm an arse to you guys," Astrid finished.

"Something to that effect," George said.

"How would you feel if you wanted nothing more in the world than a twin and you were forced to live in close proximity to the poster children for perfect twins?" Astrid asked.

"You have a twin," George said slowly, trying to process what Astrid was implying.

"Only in that my brother was born 15 minutes before me," Astrid spat. 

"I'm sorry," George said, looking down at the ground. He wasn't sure of what else to say.

"It's not really your fault that you and Fred have such an enviable relationship," Astrid said.

"You should talk to Parvati. She's in Ron, Harry and Hermione's year," George suggested, "Her twin, Padma, is in Ravenclaw." Astrid's face clouded over when George hoped it would have brightened.

"It's not just that," she said. Before he could question her anymore, she jumped up and tore off to her dorm. 

"What did you figure out?" Ron asked. He, Harry, Fred, and Hermione had run over to George as soon as they saw Astrid run off. 

"Fred, she doesn't like us because we're us," George said.

"She's jealous!" Ron and Hermione said at the same time. Harry looked from one of his best friends to the other.

"Right in one, kids," George said. 

"Her twin must be a real bastard," Harry commented. He, Ron and Hermione all exchanged worried glances. 

"I think there's a little more to it than she's telling us," George replied. 

"I need to go write a letter to Sn-," Harry began, then stopped abruptly. George and Fred both looked at him quizzically. 

"Snape, about his project," Hermione covered for him. Fred and George believed Hermione's unsteady lie.

"Where is Ginny?" George asked.

"In her room composing a letter to Braeden," Ron said. All three Weasley brothers rolled their eyes. Harry started off towards his dorm to begin a letter to Sirius. 

"Maybe I should go after Astrid," Hermione suggested.

"Not a smart idea. Give her some time to cool off," Ron said. Hermione nodded and turned towards Fred. He looked more than slightly puzzled by the little girl's outburst.

"You're probably right," Hermione said. Ron sank down into the seat Astrid had just been occupying. 

"GEORGE!" Angelina yelled from across the common room. She waved wildly at him.

"I'm being summoned," George said, and with that he started off towards Angelina. Fred looked at Hermione and held out his hand. 

"May I have this dance?" He asked.

"Of course,' Hermione replied, "Provided you're nice to my toes." She placed her hand in his and allowed him to lead her to the dance floor. Ron turned to look out the window, ignoring the still-raging party behind him. Partying was the last of his worries at the moment. 


	17. Chapter 17

Female? Check. British? Nope. Middle aged? Nope. Must not be JKR then.

Review please!

Thanks to those who have reviewed so far.

Nat is my favorite person of the day.

That being said:

*****

"What do you guys plan to do this afternoon?" Hermione asked Harry and Ron as the three friends sat at lunch on Tuesday, four days after the Quidditch trial. Ron looked at Harry and raised an eyebrow.

"Hannah and I have a meeting with Snape," Harry replied, "Who knows how long that will take."

"Snape?" Ron asked.

"Why?" added Hermione.

"It's about our project. Evidently Dumbledore thinks we should interview him about what happened the night You-know-who fell," Harry explained. 

"Snape?" Ron echoed himself. 

"Yes Ron, Snape," Astrid said, "As in big scary potions master." Ron glared at the little girl. 

"What would he know?" Ron asked.

"I'm not sure, Ron," Harry replied, "I think that's why Hannah and I are going to interview him."

"How is Hannah, anyway?" Hermione asked through a mouthful of pudding. 

"She's alright. Madame Pomfrey fixed her up in about a minute," Harry explained.

"What exactly was wrong with her?" Dennis asked.

"Severely dislocated elbow, cracked ribs and a nasty bump on her head," Harry replied. 

"But she's better now?" Astrid queried.

"Yes, she was better by Saturday," Harry said.

"So I suppose that if you're at class and he's interviewing Snape, I might get a head-start on some homework," Ron told Hermione.

"Really?" Hermione asked. Her eyes brightened visibly.

"No," Ron admitted, "I just said that to see what kind of reaction I could get." 

"Thanks Ron, now we're all going to have to hear a lecture on how starting early on homework is a beneficial to everyone," Fred said jokingly to his younger brother. Hermione glared coldly at her boyfriend and then at her best friends.

"What was that look for?" Harry asked, "I'm doing homework early!"

"Probably only at Hannah's insistence!" Hermione spat.

"Or because he _likes _Hannah and wants to spend time with her," Astrid countered, smiling sweetly at Harry. 

"Astrid?" Harry asked.

"Yes Harry?" Astrid replied. 

"Kindly shut your mouth before I hex it shut," Harry said. Astrid glared at him and then gave a very Draco-esque smirk. 

"And don't do that!" Ron added, "You look like a Malfoy!"

"You don't think the fact that my name is Abigail Astrid Malfoy would have anything to do with that now would it?" Astrid asked, still smirking at Ron. 

"Probably not," Dennis said, sticking his tongue out at his friend.   
"Hey Harry, are you ready?" Harry heard Hannah ask from just behind him. He turned to look at her.

"I told Snape we'd be there at one, its 12:50 now," Hannah explained.

"Alright then, let's go," Harry said. He stood up and picked up his bag.

"Bye Harry," Hermione said.

"See you guys later," Harry replied, waving at his friends. Hannah waved too and the pair started towards the door of the Great Hall. 

"So how are you?' Hannah asked.

"I'm alright. A little nervous," Harry replied honestly. 

"Dumbledore seemed to think us interviewing Snape was one of the best options," Hannah replied.

"I'm not worried about who were interviewing as much as I'm worried about what he'll say," Harry admitted. 

"You know, if you're uncomfortable with this, we can always to go Binns and request a change of topic," Hannah suggested. 

"No, I think we've got a good topic. And we do have an insider's point of view," Harry attempted to joke. Hannah laughed nervously. 

"So how are you feeling?" Harry asked to change the subject.

"I'm fine. Madame Pomfrey mended me in about two minutes," Hannah said. "However, I'm still a bit mad about getting cheated out of even attempting to make the team."

"You're still going to come to the matches aren't you?" Harry asked. Hannah smiled at him.

"Of course," she replied, "I wouldn't miss them for the world."

"Except for the one in France, of course," Harry said.

"You all are traveling to France?" Hannah asked.

"Yes," Harry replied. 

"How do you know? Have they released the schedule yet?"

"Not here, but at Beaubaxtons," Harry explained.

"Did you meet someone from Beaubaxtons last year who you still talk to?' Hannah asked.

"No. Ginny Weasley is dating a guy from there though," Harry replied.

"Who?" Hannah asked.

"Hermione's cousin Braeden. They met this summer when Ginny, Ron, and I, and Braeden and his brothers Ben and Brantley were all over at Hermione's house for a few weeks," Harry explained.

"So Braeden told Ginny that you all were playing at Beaubaxtons," Hannah said.

"Yes, something like that. The other two matches will be here, though, because Durmstrang wants to play all away matches," Harry said. 

"How odd," Hannah said.

"Would you expect anything less from a school that actually teaches Dark Arts rather than just defense?" Harry asked. 

"Not really," Hannah laughed.

"After Karkaroff's issues with the tournament last year, I'm surprised they're even participating in the Quidditch cup," Harry said.

"Really?" Hannah asked.

"Yes," Harry replied. 

"Well, here we are," Hannah said. She stopped at the door of the Potions classroom and looked at Harry. Harry started to push the door open.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked.

"Yes," Harry replied firmly. He pushed the door all of the way open and stepped back to allow Hannah to enter the room first. She tentatively walked in and he followed her.

"Miss Abbott, Mr. Potter," Snape greeted icily from his table at the front of the room.

"Professor Snape," Harry and Hannah said at the same time. 

"Shall we conduct the meeting in my office?" Snape suggested.

"Whatever is best for you," Hannah said. 

"Right this way," Snape said. He stood up and started through a door to his right. Harry and Hannah followed him. 

"Have a seat please," he said when they entered his office. He went over and sat behind his desk. Hannah took the seat farthest from the door and Harry sank into the chair next to hers. 

"So what did you need to ask me?" Snape asked. Hannah looked down at a scrap of parchment in her hands. 

"A few questions about the night my parents died," Harry said.

"Alright then," Snape said.

"Where were you on the night of October 31?" Hannah asked quite seriously.

"You sound like you're interrogating him, not interviewing," Harry quietly chided.

"I was at the home of James and Lily Potter in Godric's Hollow," Snape replied, glaring at Harry.

"You were there the night it happened?" Harry asked. His jaw dropped and his grip on the arms of the chair increased.

"Yes, Mr. Potter, I was," Snape replied smoothly.

"Before or after?" Harry asked softly, almost dreading the answer. Snape looked at Harry. For a moment Harry thought Snape's features had softened, but it happened so briefly that Harry couldn't be sure. 

"During, Mr. Potter, during," Snape finally replied. Harry's knuckles went white on the arms of the chair. He swallowed hard twice and looked desperately at Hannah. At that point, he didn't trust himself to speak.

"Do you want to go on?" Hannah mouthed to him. Harry nodded fiercely at her to continue. 

"Perhaps this isn't such a good idea," Snape mused, "I don't know if Mr. Potter can handle it."

"I'll be fine," Harry quickly found his voice. Snape glared at him. "Then, Mr. Potter, I highly suggest you quit trying to crush the arms of the chair." Harry instantly loosened his grip on the chair.

"So can you tell us the events of the night as you remember them?" Hannah asked.

"No," Snape replied. Harry felt anger rising within him. 

"You can't?" Hannah asked.

"I can," Snape replied.

"But you won't," Harry finished for the professor. 

"I would rather show you," Snape said, glaring at Harry. 

"Show us?" Hannah asked.

"Pensieve?" Harry guessed. 

"Right in one, Mr. Potter," Snape said. Hannah turned to look at Harry. He smiled weakly at her. 

"Mr. Potter, do you think you can handle it?" Snape asked. He sounded as genuinely concerned as Harry had ever heard him sound.

"Yes sir," came Harry's less than certain answer. 

"I should warn you that your scar may hurt if you see Voldemort try to kill your infant form," Snape said. Harry reached up and tentatively brushed his fingers across his scar. 

"So I should run outside?" Harry guessed.

"You won't be able to because I wasn't outside," Snape explained.

"So what do you suggest I do?" Harry asked.

"There may be nothing you can do," Snape replied. Hannah took her turn to look terrified.

"Are you two ready?" Snape asked. Harry and Hannah both nodded wordlessly. Snape stood up and brushed off his robes. Hannah cautiously stood, and she and Snape both turned to Harry. He wiped his hands on his robes and slowly stood.

"Let's go," He said.

"I've set up the pensieve in here," Snape said, leading them into a small chamber off of his office. A small table stood in the middle of the room with a stone basin in the center of its top. 

"Are either of you familiar with using a pensieve?" Snape asked. Harry nodded while Hannah shook her head. 

"To get in, you must think of the memory you want to fall into and then touch the liquid," Snape instructed.

"One problem," Hannah began. 

"What's that?" Snape asked.

"I don't have a mental image of the memory I need to get to," she said.

"In that case, let Potter think of the memory, and the two of you hold hands. You should be pulled along when he touches the liquid," Snape explained. Hannah and Harry both nodded. Harry offered his hand to Hannah. She carefully wrapped her hand around his.

"Ready?" Snape asked. Harry nodded at the professor. Hannah squeezed Harry's hand lightly. She looked more than a little worried. Snape closed his eyes tightly. Harry did the same. He tried to picture what of his first house he could remember. When he finally had a decent mental image of the living room, he reached out and touched the liquid. He instantly felt the familiar falling sensation and Hannah falling along behind him. After a moment, he landed in the living room he'd only seen in memories. He instantly noticed the plush beige carpet, the comfortable looking red couch, and the basket of toys in the corner.

"Where is everyone?" Hannah asked quietly.

"Just watch," Snape admonished. Hannah looked over at Harry.

"Where are you?" Harry asked Snape. Snape pointed towards the back window.

"I was just back there looking through," Snape replied.

"Invisibility cloak?" Harry guessed.

"Dumbledore isn't the only wizard who has mastered the art of cloak-less invisibility," Snape replied icily. Harry made a mental note of the teacher's ability. 

"I haven't done it since this night, though," Snape continued. Harry felt a flood of relief wash over him.

_"Come along, Harry, your daddy will be home shortly."_ A familiar voice said. Less than a second later, a small red-haired woman stepped into the room.

"Is that your mum?" Hannah asked. Harry swallowed hard and nodded to Hannah. Lily walked to the center of the room and crouched down. A moment later, a pudgy baby with a fine covering of black hair crawled into the room.

_"Oh, silly Harry, why are you crawling?" _Lily asked. Baby Harry pushed himself back on his hands and landed with a thump in a sitting position at Lily's feet. He stuffed a sticky thumb into his small mouth and looked up at his mother, a string of drool running down his chin. Lily smiled down at her son. She curled herself into a sitting position next to him.

"You were such a cute baby!" Hannah squealed. Part of Harry agreed with her. Another part made a mental note never to let a girl see him as a baby again. Mostly, he watched the scene as intently as he could, wanting to commit it all to memory.

Baby Harry pulled his thumb from his mouth and crawled over into his mum's lap. 

Harry couldn't pull his eyes away from his mum. She was young, barely older than 20. She was about 5'3" with a very petite frame. Her long red hair hung in loose wisps around her face, and to almost her waist in the back. She was clothed in blue jeans and a simple plum sweater. When baby Harry crawled into her lap, her face broke into a broad smile. When she smiled, her bright eyes crinkled at their corners. She had one of those contagious smiles that made everyone around start smiling, as evidenced by the grins Harry and Hannah wore, and even the tight-lipped smile Snape had.

Baby Harry reached over his head and pulled at a curl of red hair. Lily carefully untangled his chubby fingers from her hair. 

_"Would you like to read a story?"_ Lily asked the baby. Baby Harry gurgled happily at his mum and pulled at her hair again. Lily stretched out her hand a muttered a summoning spell for a book in the basket. 

"You got that summoning charm of yours from her," Snape said. Harry swallowed hard and squeezed Hannah's hand a little tighter. Only then did he realize that he and Hannah were still holding hands. She looked up at him with a concerned look on her face. He offered her a weak smile.

Lily caught the book and turned baby Harry so he leaned against her. She opened the book on their laps. 

"That will be Hermione and her child," Harry thought with a smile. 

Baby Harry grinned and smacked the pages of the book. 

_"The Giving Tree_," Lily read the title of the book. _"You know, Harry, my mum used to read this book to me when I was a little girl. It was one of my favorites." _Baby Harry cooed then smacked the pages of the book again.

_"Now now, Harry, be easy,"_ Lily softly scolded. Baby Harry blew a spit bubble and then slipped his thumb back into his mouth. 

_"Once there was a tree,"_ Lily began reading easily.

*****

_"The end,"_ Lily said. Baby Harry smacked the book again. He had sat still in his mothers lap for her entire reading of the story. Lily gathered the baby up in her arms and planted a kiss on his head.

_"I love you so much_" she whispered into his hair. Baby Harry gurgled happily. Lily placed him in the floor. He crawled off towards the toy basket. She took the opportunity to wipe the tears from her eyes.

_"That book always did make me cry_," she mumbled to herself. Harry glanced down at Hannah. Hannah was wiping away tears from her eyes, and Harry couldn't ignore the ones forming in his own. He brushed them away with the hand not holding Hannah's. 

_"Mama!"_ Baby Harry called from the corner. He pulled up to the toy basket and grabbed a small red ball in his pudgy hands He turned back and toddled towards his mother, calling for her as he walked.

"Boy, they started you on the Quidditch early," Hannah laughed. Harry recognized the ball in his baby hands as a miniature quaffle.

_"Lily!"_ A male voice called from down a hallway. 

"Dad," Harry knew immediately.

"_Dada!"_ Baby Harry shrieked. Harry smiled down at himself and he heard Hannah laughing next to him. 

"_There's daddy's boy!"_ James said, walking into the room. Lily jumped to her feet when he entered. Harry was amazed at his father. At 21 or 22 years old, James stood at 6'1". He was muscular, and looked much like Harry. His black hair stood on end and he was tanned from, well, Harry wasn't sure why he was tan. He had sparkling blue eyes and round glasses just like Harry's. 

James bent over and scooped Lily into one arm and Harry into the other. He planted a kiss on Harry's un-scarred forehead. Harry again tightened his grip in Hannah's hand. Then James pulled Lily right up to him. She giggled like a schoolgirl and he kissed her squarely on her nose before leaning in for a real kiss. Baby Harry gurgled happily in James's arm. 

_"How was your day? How was the meeting with Dumbledore"_ Lily asked when James finally broke their kiss. 

_"Fantastic, and we'll talk about it later"_ James replied. _"But I missed you."_

_"I missed you, too,"_ Lily said, kissing her husband again. Baby Harry squealed.

"_How was your day?" _James asked the baby. He returned Lily to a standing position and took Harry in both of his hands. He lifted the baby towards the ceiling before bringing him back down and blowing a raspberry on his tummy. Baby Harry squealed and tugged at his father's hair. Hannah giggled. 

_"I left your dinner in the kitchen,"_ Lily told James.

_"Thanks Lil', I'm famished,"_ James said. He handed Baby Harry to Lily and turned towards the kitchen. Lily took Harry back towards the toy basket. Harry glanced over at Snape and noticed the professor had gone more pale than usual. 

"Are you okay?" Hannah asked Harry. Harry nodded at her, despite the zillion feelings tearing around in his head, making thinking difficult. She smiled at him and squeezed his hand. 

"We've got to go in here now," Snape said suddenly. Harry and Hannah felt pulled to follow James.

"What's going on?" Harry asked.

"I just moved away from the window and am getting ready to go into the kitchen," Snape said, "so we have to be in there." 

_"James_," an oily voice that couldn't only belong to one Severus Snape said. Harry and Hannah ran around the edge of the door into the kitchen of Harry's childhood home. James stood over a counter arranging something on a plate. 

_"What are you doing here?"_ James asked when he looked up and saw the younger Snape standing at the back door. _"TAKE HARRY AND RUN!"_ James screamed towards Lily in the living room.

_"Stay quiet,"_ young Snape commanded, _"The lives of Lily and Harry may depend on it."_

_ "What?" _James asked. Young Snape spoke swiftly and quietly. _"You confided in a rat. Voldemort should, by now, be standing in your living room."_ James instantly grabbed his wand and started towards the door.

"_No James, you mustn't,"_ Snape commanded. 

_"Why not?" _James asked. 

_"Listen closely, I'm only going to say this once," _Harry recognized young Snape's tone as one usually reserved for giving potions instructions to rowdy students. _"Join the ranks of the death eaters."_

_"Will it save Lily and Harry?"_ James asked. Harry wasn't aware of the grip he had on Hannah's hand. 

_"It very well may,"_ young Snape said. 

_"Sign me up, then,"_ James replied. Harry was vaguely aware of his mouth falling open.

_"I'm sorry, but I have to do this,"_ young Snape said. He pulled his wand and pointed it at James. "_Petrificus Totalus_._" _James went rigid and fell into the floor. _"This way, I'm guaranteed you won't try to do anything stupid while I tell the Dark Lord of our new recruit." _Harry looked down at Hannah. She was looking at Professor Snape with wide eyes. 

"Yes, our," Harry whispered. He, Hannah and Snape quickly followed Young Snape back into the living room. 

_"My liege_" young Snape began_ "James has agreed to join our ranks if you'll spare the lives of Lily and the baby_."

"_NO!" _Lily cried. She stood in the corner blocking Harry from the ominous cloaked figure in the center of the room. 

_"No?" _Voldemort asked.

_"Take me instead_" Lily insisted.

_"What?"_ Voldemort said.

"_Take me instead of James,"_ Lily whispered. Tears welled in her eyes. 

_"And save the boy?"_ Voldemort asked. Lily nodded at him. Voldemort pulled out his wand and began walking towards baby Harry.

"_ANYTHING BUT HARRY!" _Lily cried. 

_"Stand aside you silly little girl!"_ Voldemort hissed. 

"_Please, anything but Harry!"_ Lily screamed. Hannah increased her grip on Harry's hand, as he was trembling. His face had lost all color and he was blinking his eyes rapidly. 

Voldemort let loose a maniacal laugh. 

_"I shall gain two new servants and kill the baby!"_ He cackled. 

_"NO! HAVE MERCY!" _Lily shrieked and backed towards Baby Harry. Voldemort walked menacingly towards Lily.

_"Stand aside you silly girl, Stand aside now," _Voldemort commanded.

_"Please, have mercy!" _Lily begged. Voldemort's maniacal laughter again filled the room. Harry's other hand was clenched in a fist of rage. Snape had turned away from Harry and Hannah. Hannah looked up at Harry but Harry didn't notice. 

_"Sir, they may be more likely to serve you if you don't kill their son,"_ young Snape said.

_"All of my followers must pay a price_" Voldemort replied. He pointed his wand lazily over his shoulder at Young Snape. _"Crucio." _Young Snape collapsed onto the floor in a convulsing heap and Voldemort turned back to Lily. 

_"This is yours_" he said.

_"PLEASE NO!" _Lily screamed.

"_Stand aside you silly girl," _Voldemort said. He had backed Lily completely into the corner over Harry.

_"Don't take Harry,"_ Lily begged. 

"_Avada Kedavra," _Voldemort muttered almost lazily. A blinding flash of green light filled the room, and Voldemort tossed Lily's lifeless body out of his way.Harry made no effort to stop the tears that trailed silently down his face. He and Hannah were both startled by a crashing noise behind them. They noticed James tearing into the room from the kitchen. 

_"Don't kill the baby_" James said in a quietly menacing tone. _"Kill me instead"_

"_Gladly,_" Voldemort replied. "_Avada Kedavra_." Another flash filled the room and James fell next to young Snape, lifeless eyes staring into nothing. Harry hadn't heard that part of the ordeal in his dreams before. Voldemort turned back to Harry. 

_"Avada Kedavra_," He said, pointing his wand at the screaming baby. For the third time that night, the room went green, but a horrific shriek filled pierced the eerie silence. Harry felt like someone hit him in his scar with an axe. He pulled his free hand to his forehead and everything went black. 

*****

"Harry… Harry," a faint voice in the distance said. Harry slowly opened his eyes and found Professor Snape and a concerned Hannah Abbott leaning over him. He reached up and ran his fingers along his aching scar. The full force of what he had just witnessed hit him and he jumped to his feet. He mumbled his thanks to professor Snape and hurried out of the potions classroom.

"Go after him. Make sure he doesn't hurt himself. Make sure his friends know what he just went through so they can keep an eye on him too," Snape instructed in his usually cold manner. Hannah nodded dumbly at the professor. "NOW!" Snape cried. Hannah turned on her heel and ran after Harry. She tore through the Potions Master's office and the Potions classroom. 

Harry paused just outside the Potions room. He turned to the heavy stone wall and smashed his fist into it. Skin met rock with a satisfying crack. He drew his fist back and punched the rock again. He felt the skin on his knuckles split, so he heaved his fist into the rock for the third time. Blood trickled down his hand.

"HARRY!" Hannah cried from the classroom door. Harry pulled his fist back again and looked over at her. Rather than punch the wall again, he turned on his heel and ran towards the stairs as fast as he could. Hannah took off after him but she was no match for him when running. 

Harry didn't really know why he was running from Hannah. Truth was, human contact was about the last thing he wanted. He tore up the stairs to the entrance hall and out the front door of the castle. He thought about flying, but then decided he didn't trust himself at a high altitude on a broomstick so he kept running. 

Hannah barely managed to keep up with Harry. Harry was running at a dead sprint. Hannah wasn't quite that good of shape. She figured he would go to the Quidditch pitch, so when he veered off towards the lake, she became panicked. She picked up her pace a bit and followed him.

Harry ran until he reached a familiar spot on the edge of the lake. He sank down in the grass and gathered his knees to his chest. He recognized the spot as the one where he and Hannah had their first meeting for the project. He looked out over the water and attempted to begin collecting his thoughts. 

Hannah finally reached the lake and noticed a small figure clothed in black sitting on the bank in the distance. 

"Harry," she thought with a smile. "At least he's sitting on the bank and not flailing about in the middle." She slowed her pace to a jog and continued towards the figure.

Harry didn't notice the footsteps approaching him at all.

"Harry?" Hannah asked quietly. Harry turned to glare at her.

"You found me," he said.

"Why wouldn't I? You came to my favorite thinking spot." 

"I'll leave," Harry replied, starting to get up.

"No," Hannah said, "Stay." She sank down onto the grass next to him. Harry braced himself for the standard "are you okay." It never came. The two teenagers sat in silence for quite some time, both staring out across the water. Harry was the first to speak.

"You don't have to stay here you know."

"Yes I do," Hannah replied easily. Harry glanced over at her. They returned to their steady silence for a bit longer. Harry finally laid flat on his back and covered his face with his arms. 

"Why?" he asked. Hannah looked over at him. 

"You knew what was going to happen before you jumped into the pensieve," Hannah said softly.

"No. Why didn't he die! He ruined my life as I knew it, and the lives of countless others. He killed my parents!" Harry said.

"Yes," Hannah replied.

"They were so happy!" Harry said. 

"That, they were," Hannah replied, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. She moved closer to Harry. 

"Why?" Harry asked again, softer this time. He didn't try to stop the tears that began to flow freely down his face. Hannah reached over and brushed a few away. Then she noticed the blood on his robes.

"Harry, you're bleeding," she said.

"I know," he replied. He pulled his arm away from his head and extended his bloody hand to Hannah. She pulled out her wand and quickly mended it.

"Feel better?" Hannah asked.

"My hand does," Harry sniffed. Tears still rained down his cheeks. He pulled his glasses off and tossed them aside. 

"Come here," Hannah said. He opened his eyes and looked at her. She patted a spot on the grass right in front of her. He slowly moved over and sat where she instructed. He brushed a few tears away from his eyes. She felt hot tears springing up in her own eyes. She reached over wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him towards her. He fell into her embrace, letting his head rest on her shoulder. He thought about how he would never have a mother to hold him like this, and his tears fell faster. 

"Shh, Harry," Hannah whispered in a soothing voice. Great shaking sobs began to wrack his body and he brought his hands up to cover his face. She pulled him closer and let him cry. 


	18. Chapter 18

Lets see. I own nothing. Most of it is JKR's. Another fairly large portion goes to whoever owns the rights for the Mighty Ducks Movies. 

I've got a bit of a problem on my hands. I can't get a mental picture of Astrid. She basically looks like a little Draco with longer, fluffier hair. Unfortunately, every time I try to imagine that, I come up with Tom Felton with long fluffy blonde hair, and that's not quite the look she needs. I guess what I'm saying is I would greatly appreciate any fan art of Astrid anyone would be willing to draw. I will love you forever!

Lets see. What else.

I LOVE reviews.

Thanks to all those who have reviewed so far. 

That being said:

*****

"The School Quidditch team will practice with their new coach for the first time directly after this meal," Dumbledore announced Wednesday night at dinner, "you all have 15 minutes to report to the pitch ready to play."

"Only fifteen minutes?" Fred complained to everyone seated around him.

"At least its after dinner when we've all been awake for more than five minutes," George laughed.

"Any clue who the coach is?" Ron asked. 

'I heard it was a professional player who agreed to come back and coach you lot," Astrid said. Hermione looked at the little girl. 

"Did you really?" she asked. The boys and Ginny had taken off on a conversation about the possibilities of the coach.

"No," Astrid said with a smile, "I figured that would keep them guessing though." Hermione shook her head at Astrid. 

"What if its KRUM!" Ron cried.

"Would Krum really come coach the Hogwarts team? Come on man, use your brain!" Fred said. Hermione shuddered at the thought of her ex returning to Hogwarts to coach Quidditch.

"Besides, I don't think Olga would let him leave her for that long," Astrid said. Hermione glanced up at the ceiling and noticed a familiar snowy owl circling towards the group.

"Ginny, look, its Braeden," Hermione said. Ginny immediately looked up.

"No, I'm fairly certain that's Hedwig," Ron said. Everyone looked towards the ceiling. Hedwig drew closer and finally landed on Harry's shoulder.

"Not Braeden," Harry laughed, raising eyebrows at Hermione and Ron. They both immediately understood.

"Who is it from then?" Fred and George asked at the same time.

"Don't be so nosy," Hermione scolded her boyfriend. As Harry looked down at the parchment in his hand, he noticed Hannah walking out of the Great Hall. 

"Hannah," Harry lied smoothly. He flipped the parchment open and surveyed it quickly on the pretense of reading it. "She needs to meet me in the Entrance Hall about our project." He jumped up and took one last sip of his pumpkin juice. "See you guys at practice." 

"See you," Fred, George and Ron replied. Hermione, Ginny and Astrid just watched him go.

"I'm officially worried about him," Hermione announced as soon as the door closed behind Harry. 

"Why?" Fred asked innocently.

"Did you see him when he came back from the meeting with Snape yesterday?" Ron queried.

"He didn't look so good," Astrid said.

"When did he finally get back?" George asked.

"He wasn't at dinner," added Fred.

"He didn't come into the common room until almost 8, and he went straight up to our room. When I went up later, he was in his bed with the curtains drawn, so I didn't try to talk to him," Ron explained. 

"What was his problem when he came from the meeting?" George asked.

"He just looked really tired," Ron said.

"So he went up and went to bed," Fred explained logically.

"But he didn't look sleepy tired. He looked mentally exhausted," Hermione replied.

"He looked old," Astrid added. 

"What?" Fred, George, Hermione and Ron all asked her.

"What do you mean what?" Astrid replied, "He looked old. As in not fifteen. As in old and tired." 

"Did he say anything to you about the meeting?" Ginny queried when everyone finally turned away from Astrid. Ron and Hermione both shook their heads. 

"What's the topic of his project?" Fred asked.

"The night he got his scar," Ron replied. 

"Maybe they uncovered some research that was particularly upsetting to him or something," George suggested, rather logically. 

"What else is there to know?" Fred asked. "Not to sound particularly harsh or anything, but the big bad wizard broke in his house, killed his parents and then tried to kill him. I don't see how much more there could be to learn." 

"Matters concerning Voldemort aren't always that cut and dry," Astrid snapped. 

"So guys, how about that new coach," Ron said smoothly, to avoid any tension Astrid statement would have otherwise caused. 

%%%%%

Harry sank down on the steps of the entrance hall and opened the letter from Sirius. He silently thanked Hannah for needing to leave the hall for whatever reason she had.

_Harry,_

_ I'm glad to finally get a letter from you, but what have I told you about using Hedwig? At any rate, I'm doing very well. Moony and I are traveling quite a bit going to see old friends of ours from school and such. It has been very interesting to see everyone again. Bill Weasley and Arabella Figg are engaged. Most of us have been waiting for that since they were at Hogwarts. Arabella always had a bit of a thing for Bill, but she wouldn't say anything because he was three years younger. I'm sure with Ron, Ginny and the twins all in Gryffindor tower, you'd probably already heard of the engagement. If I know Molly Weasley, you've probably also been invited to the wedding already. How is Jason doing? Keep an eye on him for me and make sure he doesn't cause as much trouble as I did when I was in school. _

_ Congratulations on making the school Quidditch team. I wish I could come see you all play. You should have a fairly good team with the Weasley twins and Angelina Johnson. Rumor has it that the Harpies are thinking about recruiting her, but you didn't hear that from me. Of course you didn't. So you don't know that, okay? I also know who your new coach is, but as you may not know yet, I'm not going to say anything. Dumbledore has done a very good job at keeping it a secret. Just wait. I think you all will be very surprised. _

_ Your project sounds very interesting. If I were you, I would interview Snape. However, be prepared, because he'll be able to offer a side of the events you'd never thought of before. Also, I'd be willing to talk with you about it if you need me too. You can always list me as an un-named eyewitness, as having my name in your project would give everyone in the room a coronary. Except for perhaps Binns. He's dead so it doesn't really matter in that case now does it? Hannah Abbott? I'm not sure I knew her parents in school. Is she muggle born?_

_ Astrid Malfoy sounds like a pretty interesting kid. I wasn't even aware until this year that the Malfoy's had daughters at all. I knew about their other son, Keiran, but not the daughters. And you say she's Keiran's twin? Any more ideas why she went off on George Weasley the other night? I would keep an eye on her, though, being Keiran's twin and being a Malfoy and everything. If you notice anything suspicious, go straight to Dumbledore. I would say tell a prefect, but as the prefects are you, Ron and Hermione, I don't think that would be a wise idea. _

_ Well, I believe this is all for now. Write back but send the letter by A DIFFERENT OWL! Tell Ron and Hermione I say hello._

_ S_

Harry smiled to himself and refolded the letter. He wasn't surprised that Sirius didn't know anything about Astrid, as Astrid hadn't even been born when Sirius went into Azkaban. Harry was, however, surprised that Sirius had heard of Keiran. Why would Sirius know of Keiran but not of his twin sister? 

"Harry, how are you?" Hannah asked from just behind him. She stood at the top of the stairs.

"Oh, I'm alright," Harry replied.

"Why aren't you in there?" Hannah asked, pointing to the Great Hall.

"I could ask you the same question," Harry countered.

"Bathroom," Hannah explained, shrugging her shoulders.

"Oh. I needed to read a letter without the Weasley twins peering over my shoulder," Harry said. 

"A letter from whom?" Hannah asked.

"A friend," Harry half-lied, "You wouldn't know him."

"All right," Hannah said, believing Harry's tale, "shall we go back in if you're done reading your letter?"

"Sure," Harry replied. He jumped up and followed Hannah towards the Great Hall. She arrived at the door first but he reached around her and pulled it open so she could go inside. 

"See you later," Hannah said, and she turned towards the Hufflepuff table. Harry went over and rejoined his Gryffindor friends.

"What did HANNAH want?" Ron asked, emphasizing the name Hannah a little more than necessary.

"Project stuff," came Harry's vague reply.

"Ron, why do you pick on Harry about Hannah?" Fred asked.

"Cause I sure don't see any girls sending you owls to meet them in the Entrance Hall during dinner," cracked Astrid. Fred and Astrid exchanged a quick high five over the table. 

"Don't you all need to go to practice?" Hermione asked, mostly to prevent Ron from attacking his brother and Astrid. 

"YES!" George and Harry said. They both stood up and looked over at Ron and Fred. Fred jumped up and stepped back from the table. Draco and William had already left the hall. 

"Come on!" George called down to the three chasers. They were seated a safe distance down the table from the Weaselys and their friends. Katie and Alicia both glared at George and reluctantly stood up. Angelina joined her boyfriend a little more happily. The entire team started out of the hall. They stopped to collect their equipment from where the house elves had deposited it in the Entrance Hall before continuing towards the field. 

"Last bets on the new coach," Fred said as they exited the castle.

"Bradford Gianmarco," Alicia immediately replied. Katie and Angelina both sighed.

"Branford Gianmarco?" Harry asked. All six of his teammates looked over at him with awe-struck looks on their faces.   
"American seeker for Puddlemere United," George explained.

"And the best looking pro Quidditch player since Aidan Lynch," Katie added.

"Witch Weekly's Most Eligible Bachelor," Alicia said.

"Five time winner," Ron quipped. Harry had to laugh at Ron, even if no one else did.

"What if it's Aidan Lynch?" Angelina asked. 

"Anyone see him?" Fred questioned as the field came into view.

"Who is saying the coach is a him?" Angelina asked, jokingly defensive. 

"It could be one of the Harpies players," Katie added.

"And the Harpies aren't the only witches in the league," Alicia reminded them all.

"I see two guys on the field," Ron, the tallest, announced. Harry jumped onto his broom and hovered up to a little more than Ron's height. 

"Dolt, those two are Malfoy and William," Harry laughed. He kicked Ron lightly in his ribs. Ron grabbed Harry's ankle.

"Whoa there Ron, don't injure our seeker before the first practice," Fred scolded his brother.

"Who cares about the ruddy school team? He's our Gryffindor seeker! We need him for the match against Slytherin," George exclaimed. Ron released Harry's ankle and Harry landed his broom.

"So the coach hasn't showed up yet?" Katie asked.

"Evidently not," Angelina laughed. Ron jumped on his broom,

"Last one to the pitch has to kiss Snape!" he cried before zooming towards the pitch. Fred and George scrambled onto their Nimbus 2003's and sped after their younger brother. Katie and Angelina jumped onto their Nimbus 2000's and Alicia urged her Cleansweep 7 after the twins. Harry hopped onto his Firebolt and pushed it to accelerate. In less than five seconds, Harry was even with Ron.

"Eat broom twigs, Weasley," Harry laughed. He re-accelerated and rocketed towards the center of the pitch. He easily landed a few meters away from Draco and William.

"Potter," William said as Harry dismounted the Firebolt.

"Sanguinis," Harry returned. Draco simply glared at Harry. 

"LET ME GO!" Ron shouted as the other six Gryffindors sped into the pitch area.

"Go Alicia, GO!" Katie and Alicia cried.

"LET GO OF ME!" Ron screamed again. Alicia sped over and landed next to Harry. Fred and George almost bowled her over, and Angelina slid in right behind the twins. Katie rolled onto the ground and stopped just at Alicia's feet. Ron still held Katie's broom. He had grabbed it to try to make her let go of his broom, so she had simply dived over to the group sans broom. 

"Good luck with the Snape kissing," Harry laughed at Ron while Angelina and Alicia pulled Katie to her feet and dusted her robes off.

"Leave it to you bloody Gryffindors to make an entrance," a familiar voice said from just behind the team. Draco and William looked slightly confused, but all of the Gryffindors turned to face the source of the voice. Fred found his voice first.

"OLIVER WOOD!" Fred cried.

"You bloody," George began. A well-placed hand over his mouth from Fred silenced George.

"You bloody wonderful coach!" Angelina corrected for her boyfriend.

"Sucking up will get you no where, Johnson," Oliver joked. 

"If you Gryffindors are done with your damned reunion, I'd like to practice some Quidditch," Draco spat. 

"Not yet," Oliver said, instantly stepping into his role as coach. "Everyone pile your brooms over there." He pointed to a spot on the pitch about five meters away from where he stood. The Gryffindors and William all tossed their brooms in the general direction of the spot. Draco gently placed his broom down on the edge of the pitch. 

"Now run two laps," Oliver commanded. All of the Gryffindors looked at him, open-mouthed. 

"Nice dental work guys, but I'm serious," Oliver said. Reluctantly, everyone started off around the pitch. Ron and Angelina took the lead with Draco and William in close second. Harry and Katie were next with the twins and Alicia last. Quickly enough, everyone completed their laps and gathered back at Oliver. 

"Not bad," he said, "But not necessarily good either," He looked down at his magical stopwatch.

"Not good?" Ron gasped. He had finished his laps faster than everyone.

"Everyone needs to go be able to go as fast as you did," Oliver explained. Alicia and the twins both groaned. 

"If you want to be on the school team, you're all going to have to keep up with Ron," Oliver said. Ron flashed a smug smile at his teammates. Fred, George, Draco, William and Angelina all glared at him. Katie and Alicia didn't respond and Harry just let his friend gloat.

"Now, everyone stand in a circle," Oliver instructed. Harry, Ron, Fred, George, Angelina, Alicia and Katie gathered in a rough semi circle. William stepped over to Harry. The eight looked expectantly at Draco. Draco stepped in between Katie and William.

"We're going to do a team building exercise," Oliver announced. He stopped into the circle between Fred and George. Draco snorted loudly. Oliver glared at him.

"Why?" William asked. 

"Because some of you guys don't act very much like a team," Oliver replied, glaring specifically at Ron, Harry and Draco. " Now move the circle in until you're all standing shoulder to shoulder." William and the Gryffindors complied. Draco kept his right shoulder several inches away from Katie's. 

"Malfoy! What part of shoulder to shoulder don't you understand?" Oliver snapped. Draco roughly and reluctantly shoved his shoulder into Katie's.

"Now everyone turned to the person on your right," Oliver instructed. To demonstrate his direction he turned to face Fred. Everyone else turned clumsily. 

"Now sit," Oliver said when everyone had finally turned. 

"What?" came the unanimous response from Fred, George, Ron, William and Draco. 

"You heard me," Oliver replied, "Sit. If everyone does it at once, then no one will fall and everyone will have a sort of a seat to sit in."

"Are you daft?" William exclaimed.

"No, I'm your coach. One more word from any of you and you'll all run laps for the rest of practice," Oliver snapped. His level of control over his former teammates and opponents wasn't necessarily what anyone would call high. Luckily for him, the team remained silent. 

"Much better," Oliver said. "Now lets try this again. Everyone sit." On cue, everyone began to lower them selves into sitting positions. Slowly, makeshift chairs formed and everyone took their seats. Everyone that is, except Draco. So as not to be sat on by Katie, Draco remained standing. When Alicia's weight hit Katie's legs, Katie had no support. She toppled backwards causing a Domino effect that ended with Katie, Alicia, Angelina, George and Oliver lying in a heap on the ground. 

"Malfoy! Laps!" Oliver cried.

"How many, Coach?" Draco asked, quite acerbically.

"Until I say stop," Oliver replied. Draco took off around the pitch. 

"Now, would the rest of you like to try again?" Oliver asked. The remainder of the team picked themselves up from the ground.

"Sure," Harry said. They got back into their circle and attempted the exercise again, this time successfully. 

"Alright, now I want Fred, William, and George to take the bludgers and go to that end of the field and work on hitting them to each other with control and precision. Angelina, Alicia and Katie, come with me. We're going to work on some drills for the three of you to work on speed and accuracy. Harry, take the snitch and try to get some practice in. Give it a 5-10 second head start then chase it," Oliver instructed.

"What about me?" Ron asked. Oliver waved his wand and a basket of Quaffles appeared. He quickly banished them to an area in front of the goals at the opposite ends of the pitch. 

"Take shots on Draco," Oliver said. He waved Draco over to the group from where he was running. 

"Yes?" Draco asked. 

"Go down there and practice with Ron," Oliver instructed.

"The Weasel?" Draco asked.

"No, Ron," Oliver corrected, calling off the twins, Ron and Harry with a cold glance. Draco glared at Ron before picking up his broom. Ron picked up his identical, albeit newer 2001 and started towards the end of the pitch. Draco mounted his broom and flew over to the hovering basket of Quaffles. Ron followed Draco's example and was soon on the other side of the basket.

"Get in front of the goals, Malfoy," Ron said, plucking a Quaffle from the basket. Malfoy went over to the goals. Ron slung the Quaffle at him.

"Come on, Weasley, my baby sister could do better than that," Malfoy said as he grabbed the Quaffle out of the air.

"Leave Astrid out of this," Ron said as he threw another Quaffle at Malfoy. 

"Who said I was talking about Astrid?" Draco asked, raising his eyebrow at the tall redhead. "I have two other sisters you know. Well, had." Ron threw another Quaffle at Draco, not noticing the momentarily sad look cross the boys face. Draco knocked the Quaffle back at Ron.

"Why are you so touchy about me talking about the traitor anyway?" Draco asked. Ron chucked another Quaffle at him. This one slipped by and went through the right goal. Ron grinned broadly and threw another ball.

"Finally deserted the mudblood for my traitorous sister so you could get your grubby paws on some of the Malfoy fortune to buy food for that filthy group you call a family?" Ron delivered the ball slightly harder and before Draco had a chance to react to the first Quaffle, Ron threw another one. Draco knocked the first away but the second smashed into his face with a resounding crunch. 

"YOU BLOODY RAT BASTARD!" Ron began.

"FUCK YOU WEASLEY! I THINK MY NOSE IS BROKEN!" Draco screamed. Both hands flew to his bloody face.

"IF I EVER HEAR YOU!" Ron continued.

"IF YOU EVER GO!" Draco said.

"SAY ANYTHING ABOUT YOUR SISTER!" Ron shouted.

"NEAR MY SISTER AGAIN!" Draco cried.

"I"LL!" came Ron's threat.

"I'LL," said Draco. 

"You'll both run laps NOW!" Oliver cried from the pitch. Draco glared at Ron and Oliver over his hands. Blood dripped through his pale fingers and down onto his Quidditch robes.

"I'm bleeding," he mumbled. Oliver pulled out his wand and muttered at charm towards Draco. His nose stopped bleeding, but it still pointed at a Snape-ish angle. 

"NOW RUN!" Oliver screamed. Ron and Draco both landed their brooms and dismounted. Oliver waved his wand again and suddenly Ron felt ropes around his left wrist and ankle. Draco felt the same around his right. 

"WHAT THE HELL?" Draco screamed when he realized who was on the other end of his bindings.

"BLOODY HELL!" Ron yelled at the same time.

"You two will learn to get along, one way or the other. Now run," Oliver instructed. He turned to the remainder of the team. "And any of you who finds this funny may join them."

*****

"Someone licked my ear!" Angelina cried. George laughed loudly and quite guiltily from the middle of the tied together team.

"That was my ARSE!" Katie squealed.

"Sorry Kate," Alicia replied. 

"What's that smell?" Harry asked. William laughed nervously.

"You all will learn to be a team," Oliver said from his position in front of the team. Harry and Katie glared at him from across a large rope that crossed both of their stomachs.

"Now to win as a team, you must be able to run as a team," Oliver said.

"How is this bloody rope going to help?" Ron asked grumpily from his spot towards the back of the group, next to Draco.

"Run, Mr. Weasley." Oliver instructed. Ron tried to run forward but the resistance caused by his teammates didn't allow him to get anywhere. 

"Now everyone run," Oliver commanded. Harry and Katie tried to run forward. Angelina pulled Alicia and George to the right and Fred and William went left. Ron and Draco both tried, unsuccessfully, to turn in the rope and run backwards. When Ron and Draco started pulling the rope backwards, Harry and Katie pitched forwards over the rope and onto their heads. The slack in the rope caused by Harry and Katie's quick exit caused Angelina to fall over and George and Alicia to land on top of her. Fred and William stopped dead in their tracks and Ron and Draco both toppled backwards over the rope. 

"Everyone runs their own way, everyone falls down. Now get back up and try it again," Oliver insisted. The magical rope re situated everyone within itself.

"EVERYONE RIGHT!" Angelina called.

"Who makes you boss?" William asked. "EVERYONE LEFT!" Draco, William and Fred all ran left. George, Alicia, Katie, Ron and Harry followed Angelina right. Again, everyone fell. 

"Try again," Oliver said. Before anyone could protest, they were back on their feet and wrapped in the rope. 

*****

"Bloody hell, I think I'm going to die!" Angelina cried. She flopped onto a couch in Gryffindor tower. 

"Please don't," George said. He fell onto the couch next to her. 

"AARGH!" came Fred's highly intelligent statement as he collapsed onto the rug in front of the fire. 

"Kill me now," Katie begged. She fell into the floor next to Fred. Alicia wordlessly sank onto an armchair. 

"Captain Blood," Harry muttered. He sank down next to Katie. 

"At least none of you were tied next to Draco Malfoy for the better part of an hour," Ron spat. He fell into a different armchair on the other side of the couch.

"That bad, huh?" Hermione asked. Not one person on the entire team made an effort to look at her. 

"A kiss from my favorite girl might make me feel better," Fred said from his spot between Katie and Harry. Hermione went over to him and dropped a kiss on his sweaty forehead. 

"Oliver is a bloody wanker," George muttered. 

"Oliver is your new coach?' Hermione asked.

"New drill sergeant," Katie corrected.

"That bad?" Hermione queried.

"YES!" came the unanimous reply.

"What happened at practice?" Hermione asked.

"What didn't," Harry countered.

"Draco got his nose broken and we all got tied together and told to run," Angelina explained. 

"How long did that take?" 

"Dumbledore made Oliver let us loose," Katie said. 

"Where are Ginny and Astrid?" Ron asked.

"Why?" Hermione answered.

"I figure they might want to hear about Malfoy's bloody nose," he explained.

"Ginny is off writing to Braeden, and, well, Astrid is over in the corner," Hermione said. 

"Get her to come over here," Angelina laughed, "I think she'll like to hear this story."

"Maybe it would be better if you all would go over there. She fell earlier and hurt her ankle," Hermione explained.

"Which corner is she in?" Ron asked. Hermione pointed towards the back of the common room. Harry pointed his wand in the direction Hermione was pointing.

_"Accio Astrid_," he muttered. "OOF," he muttered a moment later when Astrid landed squarely on his chest.

"I think that's the first time I've ever been literally summoned," Astrid said. She made no move to remove herself from her perch on Harry's chest. She had both hands clasped tightly around her left ankle. The Gryffindor team and Hermione all laughed weakly. 

"So what did you boys need?" she asked.

"I broke your brother's nose at practice!" Ron said gleefully.

"Good job," Astrid said weakly. She still hadn't removed her hands from her ankle or moved from Harry. 

"You should have seen the look on his face," Harry laughed.

"I'm sure it was great," Astrid said.

"How is your ankle?" Ron asked.

"It's fine, now Harry, if you could banish me back to my corner," Astrid began. Harry complied with her request before she could finish her sentence.

"Why won't she go to Pomfrey?' Ron asked.

"Shall I banish you over there to ask her?" Harry asked. 

"Maybe the two of you should go talk to her. She won't let me or Ginny see or touch her ankle and has threatened to hex us into next week if we bind her to take her to Pomfrey," Hermione explained. Ron looked over at his friends and raised his eyebrow. Harry slowly dragged himself to his feet and started towards Astrid. Ron followed him closely. Astrid was sitting in the far corner of the common room on a pile of pillows with both hands still clasped tightly around her ankle. 

"Hey chica, what's up?" Ron asked as he and Harry approached her.

"Not much," Astrid replied through clenched teeth.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked. Astrid nodded in the affirmative but the look on her face told them otherwise.

"How did you hurt your ankle?" Ron asked.

"I fell down the stairs," Astrid said. 

"Come on, let's see," Ron said. He kneeled down next to the girl and reached for her hands. She swiftly turned away from him.

"I think not, Ronald Weasley," she said.

"We can't help you if you don't let us see," Harry said.

"No offense, but I don't think you could help me anyway," Astrid attempted to joke. 

"Go to Madame Pomfrey, she'll probably be able to fix you in a minute," Harry suggested. 

"No can do, Potter," Astrid said, sounding a lot like her older brother.

"Will you go if we carry you?" Ron suggested.

"All of the way to the hospital wing?" Astrid asked. Ron and Harry nodded. "After the Quidditch practice you two just had?"

"Sure," Harry said. Ron nodded his agreement. Astrid paused to consider the offer for a moment. 

"I suppose. If anything, I can get something from Madame Pomfrey to kill the pain for a while," Astrid said. Before she could say anything else, Ron scooped her up in his arms and started towards the portrait hole. Harry trailed after them. Hermione and the rest of the team watched the three of them leave. George looked over at his twin brother with a maniacal grin on his face.

"As captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, I'm ordering you all to hit the showers now," George said, sniffing the air before heading towards the showers himself. Katie, Angelina and Alicia all stood up and headed towards their dorm room.

"And as captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, I'm ordering myself to shower later and spend time with you first," Fred said, smiling up at Hermione. He crawled up onto the couch and stretched out. 

"And as your girlfriend, I'm agreeing with your brother," Hermione laughed, surveying her sweaty, smelly boyfriend. Fred picked himself up off of the couch, glared playfully at Hermione and started off towards the showers. Hermione sank down onto the couch and summoned her potions book from her bag in the corner. She began to read while she waited for Fred. 

%%%%%

"When did you fall?" Ron asked Astrid as the three made their way towards the hospital wing.

"Earlier today, but it didn't really start hurting till during dinner," Astrid replied.

"That's odd," Harry mused.

"That, it is, but sometimes sprained ankles can be like that," Astrid said.

"You've done this before?" Ron asked.

"I'm clumsy," Astrid half laughed. She leaned her head weakly on Ron's shoulder. Harry dragged his knuckles across the scar. 

"Does your head hurt?" Ron asked.

"No, but it's tingling again," Harry said.

"Tingling?" Astrid asked.

"Yes, tingling. It does that occasionally," Harry explained.

"Does it mean anything?" Astrid queried.

"Not that I know of," Harry replied.

"Has it been tingling long?" Ron asked.

"Not really, that I've noticed," Harry said, "of course, I just may have ignored it through Quidditch practice." He and Ron both laughed. The two boys turned the corner into the hospital wing. 

"Potter, what are you doing here?" Draco asked from his seat on the bed in the far corner. 

"I'm," Harry began.

"Damnit Weasel, put my sister down, NOW!" Draco roared as soon as he caught sight or Astrid in Ron's arms. 

"Shove off, Draco," Astrid spat weakly from her spot. 

"Stay out of it," Draco commanded.

"So I'm your sister now am I?" Astrid asked, "What happened to traitor?"

"Wait until Lucius and Keiran hear about this," Draco replied.

"They won't," Astrid said, glaring at her older brother.

"That doesn't work for you," Draco said, "and why are you here anyway?"

"My ankle," Astrid said, still glaring.

"Why the fuck did you come here for your ankle?" Draco spat.

"Last time I checked, you come to the hospital wing, to get sprained ankles fixed," Astrid said, casting nervously pointed glances at Harry and Ron. Neither of the Gryffindors noticed but Draco caught on. 

"What did you do now, clumsy arse?" He asked.

"Fuck off Malfoy, don't talk to your own sister that way!" Ron cried. He almost dropped Astrid. She squealed rather loudly. 

"WHAT is going on in here?" Madame Pomfrey asked as she bustled into the room.

"I need pain potion," Astrid said, "I fell down the steps and hurt my ankle." 

"Very well then, Miss Malfoy," Madame Pomfrey replied. She turned and headed back towards her stores.

"What in the world?" Ron asked.

"Madame Pomfrey never gives away pain potion that easily," Harry added. Astrid glanced nervously at Draco. He glared at Harry and Ron and then rolled his eyes at her. Madame Pomfrey returned with a small vial of potion and handed it to Astrid. She downed it swiftly and handed the vial back to Madame Pomfrey.

"Will you be okay to return to the tower?" she asked. Astrid nodded from Ron's arms. 

"Want me to carry her now?" Harry asked his friend.

"Nah, she's really light," Ron said.

"I think she can walk for herself," Draco spat from the corner.

"I think I'd be happy to re-break that nose for you," Ron replied, glaring at Draco. Draco sat back and watched his two archenemies leave, one of them holding his little sister in his arms. 

"Just wait until Lucius hears about this," Draco muttered to himself.

%%%%%

"He's such a bastard," Astrid muttered thickly when the door to the hospital wing closed. 

"That, he is," Ron replied. Harry nodded. Astrid's head fell back against Ron's shoulder and her eyes closed.

"Did Madame Pomfrey give you sleep potion too?" Ron asked. Astrid nodded weakly. 

"Sprained ankles are hard to sleep with," Astrid explained just before a quiet darkness overtook her. 

"That's certifiably weird," Harry said, looking over at the sleeping form in his friend's arms. 

"And coming from you, that's saying something," Ron laughed. Harry dragged his knuckles across his scar again.

"Still tingly?" 

"Yes," Harry replied.

"Weird," Ron said.

"I wonder if she really did sprain her ankle," Harry said.

"Why would she lie?" Ron asked.

"Good point," Harry agreed.

*****

"Guess who smells good!" Fred cried, leaping across the back of the couch and landing next to Hermione. He shook some of the water out of his hair towards her. 

"Thank you, Fred," Hermione laughed, wiping a few drops of water off of her face. 

"No problem sweetie," Fred said. He dropped a kiss on Hermione's cheek. Potions book abandoned, Hermione turned in for a real kiss from her boyfriend. After he pulled away, Fred picked up the book.

"Whatcha reading?" he asked.

"Potions," Hermione replied. Fred looked at the book for a moment before tossing it over the back of the couch. He pulled his wand out of his pocket and pointed it at the fire. A moment later, bright purple flames sprung up in the fireplace.

"How did you know purple is my favorite color?" Hermione asked.

"Ron and Harry," Fred admitted sheepishly. Hermione smiled over at him. He pushed her to the front of the couch and stretched out along the back. She turned towards his head.

"Lay on your stomach," she instructed. Fred did as he was told and Hermione reached up and began massaging his shoulders.

"God Hermione, that feels good," Fred mumbled into the pillow after a few minutes. Almost immediately, the portrait squeaked open and two figures hurried in.

"We're not looking!" Ron cried as he rushed towards the first year girls' dorm.

"SORRY!" Harry added as he followed his friend. 

"Honest, we're not," Ron said. He was looking the other way. Harry had his eyes partially covered with his hands. Hermione leaned over on Fred's back and they both laughed quietly. Ron and Harry escaped into the first year girls' dormitory. 

"What do you think we interrupted?" Harry asked quietly as Ron placed Astrid in her bed.

"I hate to know, and I don't want to go back out there," Ron said.

"We very well can't stay in here," Harry spat.

"How about you banish me across to our room then I'll summon you," Ron suggested. That way we'll fly above them and don't have to be near them." 

"Good plan," Harry said, heading for the door. 

%%%%%

Hermione finally recovered from her laughing fit and sat up. She reached for Fred's shoulders again and she heard a door on the girls' side creak open.

"Here they come again," she warned Fred. Then she noticed Ron flying across Gryffindor tower towards his dorm. Shortly, Harry followed him.

"I don't see them," Fred said. Hermione smiled to herself.

"They just flew across the top of the room so they wouldn't interrupt anything," she laughed.

"Perfect," Fred said. He rolled over onto his back and pulled Hermione's mouth to his. 


	19. Chapter 19

I forgot to thank Nat last chapter. So I'm doing it first thing this chapter. SHE ROCKS! THANK YOU NAT THE BETA!!!!

Lets see. The bits you recognize are JKR's. The bits you don't are mine. The bit Draco says about the bake sale is Cassandra Claire's. After you're done here, you should all head on over to schnoogle and read her Draco series. It's fabulous!

I believe that is all for now.

I like reviews!

That being said.

*****

"Thank you for bringing your son here to me," the cold voice pierced the warm summer night. Three black robed figures stood huddled together at the edge of a forest. A large field spread out before them, with a weather-beaten shack off in the distance. The two smaller figures cowered in front of the tallest. The taller figure reached out a long, pale, bony hand and placed in the head of the smallest figure. The man began to bow down to the tallest figure. The hood of the cloak the boy wore fell back revealing a

"Wake up you lazy prat!" Ron cried, flinging open the curtains on Harry's bed.

"Ronald Alroy Weasley! I'm going to kill you!" Harry shrieked, springing from his bed.

"I did it again didn't I?" Ron screeched, running towards the door to fend off advances from his irate friend.

"Yes you did!" Harry cried, running towards his friend.

"How about we postpone killing Ron and go find Ginny and Hermione and go to breakfast so we can get to Hogsmeade," Ron suggested. Harry stopped dead in his tracks.

"Hannah, Mandy, Ernie and Justin are coming with us," he said.

"Mandy?" Ron asked.

"Brocklehurst," Harry supplied.

"When were you planning on telling me?" Ron asked, "Whatever shall I wear?"

"Clothes," Harry stoically suggested. "Probably your school robes." 

"Good idea," Ron said. He went over to his wardrobe and pulled out his best school robe.

"Have you ever actually talked to Mandy?" Harry asked.

"I'm not lucky enough to have her as my History of Magic partner," Ron replied, glaring at Harry. 

"I should hope not," Harry said, "we don't have any classes with Ravenclaw."

"I wonder why?" Ron replied.

"Good question," Harry laughed. He pulled on his school robe and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Don't you ever brush your hair?" Ron asked as he dragged a brush through his own short red hair. 

"Gave up on that over the summer. It's hopeless. I just run my fingers through it to make it stick up more," Harry explained. Ron shook his head at his friend. Harry pulled on his glasses and looked over at Ron. "Ready to go?" he asked. Ron nodded at him and started towards the door. 

"It's about time," Hermione laughed as the boys started down the stairs.

"You two are worse than teenage girls," Ginny added.

"Lazy arse wouldn't get out of bed," Ron offered by way of explanation. He glared at Harry.

"You interrupted my dream again!" Harry screeched, jumping towards Ron. Loud laughter erupted from the couch.

"What kind of dream was it?" Dean asked.

"Was it a good dream?" Seamus added, raising his eyebrows twice at the word good. 

"I'm going to breakfast," Harry spat, and started towards the portrait hole. He didn't dignify Dean and Seamus with responses. Ron, however, laughed. Hermione shrugged her shoulders at Ginny and the two girls started after Harry. Ron left his two dorm mates sitting on the couch and trailed after the girls. 

"So what are we doing at Hogsmeade today?" he asked Ginny when he'd finally caught up with her and Hermione.

"Staying away from Zonko's," Hermione replied. 

"Why?" Ron asked. 

"The twins are doing a demonstration of some of their products all day. If Niamh Zonkovich likes them, Zonko's will start carrying their line in the stores," Hermione explained.

"Oh yeah, I remember them vaguely saying something about it," Ron said.

"They're trying to keep it rather quiet so no one expects anything," Ginny explained.

"And for the twins, they've done a quite good job," Hermione laughed.

"What time are we meeting Mandy and the Hufflepuffs?" Ginny asked. Harry, Hermione, Hannah and Ernie had organized the group meeting.

"Right after breakfast," Hermione replied.

"How did everyone but me know that Mandy was coming?" Ron asked.

"Mandy and Hannah are best friends, would you expect anything less?" Hermione replied. Ron rolled his eyes at her. 

"Where is Astrid this morning?" Ginny asked.

"She, Sawyer, Jason and Dennis are having a competition to see who can sleep for the longest," Hermione explained. Ginny laughed and shook her head at the idea.

%%%%%

"Malfoy, Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, Nott and Parkinson, I need to see you all for a moment," Casey Warrington called form a corner of the Slytherin common room. Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, Taylor and Pansy went over to join him.

"Where is Keiran?" Casey asked Draco as Draco took a seat on one of the chairs.

"He's asleep I thought," Draco said.

"I just looked in his dorm, he's not there," Casey replied.

"Maybe he's found some more puppies to play with," Draco suggested.

"That's sick, Draco Malfoy!" Taylor exclaimed.

"That's Keiran," Draco replied. 

"So why are we here?" Taylor asked. 

"Better yet, why am I here?" Pansy asked.

"I was told to include you in these meetings from now on," Casey told Pansy. Pansy's face brightened considerably. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Have you come up with something to get back at the Gryffindors?" Taylor asked. 

"Now that rabid gopher spleen boy isn't around," Draco muttered.

"What was that?" Casey asked. 

"Now that rabid gopher spleen boy isn't around," Draco said, a bit louder.

"I'm appalled at you Draco, talking about your brother that way!" Taylor laughed.

"You should hear some of the stuff he says about the traitor," Crabbe said, dumbly.

"But that's permissible because she's a traitor," Taylor replied. The blank look on Crabbe's face didn't change.

"Uh Taylor, I don't think he understands the word permissible," Draco laughed.

"Talking about her is okay because she's a traitor," Taylor corrected herself. 

"So what are we doing to the Gryffindors?" Pansy asked. 

"You, Parkinson will do nothing," Casey spat.

"Know your role," Taylor added, half joking. Casey glared at Taylor.

"That's my line." Taylor smiled sweetly at Casey 

"Why not?" Pansy asked.

"Can we trust you?" Casey asked.

"Yes," Pansy replied.

"But we don't know that," Casey replied.

"I'm a Parkinson!" Pansy replied.

"Astrid's a Malfoy," Draco replied, glaring down at the girl. 

"So are we going to plan or not?" Taylor asked.

"Plan what?" Goyle asked, finally cluing in.

"The next Jr. Death Eater bake sale to raise funds for our evil alliance," Draco muttered.

"What was that, Malfoy?" Casey asked. 

"Nothing," Draco said. 

"Can we exchange their brooms for non flying ones?" Pansy suggested.

"Exactly where do you think they keep their brooms?" Casey asked.

"The broom shed?" Pansy guessed.

"GRYFFINDOR TOWER!" Casey roared.

"And even if they didn't keep their brooms in Gryffindor Tower, how many protection charms do you think Potter has on that Firebolt?" Taylor added. Pansy glared at the other girl. 

"Casey, what was the point of having this meeting if you don't have any ideas?" Draco asked.

"Do we have to mutiny again?" Taylor whined. 

"You all mutiny?" Pansy asked. Her jaw dropped as she looked from Taylor to Draco then back to Taylor.

"Oh yes," Taylor replied.

"All of the time," Draco added, more than a bit sarcastically. 

"I thought I told you all to be thinking of ideas!" Casey exclaimed.

"Keiran probably has some," Draco said.

"That don't involve random farm animals," Casey amended. Draco and Taylor both glared at him.

"I gave you my suggestion," Pansy said.

"When I didn't ask for it," Casey replied. Pansy glared at him.

"Know your role," Taylor repeated.

"Taylor, that's my line," Casey whined. Taylor smiled sweetly at him. 

"I think we established that already," Draco said.

"She keeps stealing it," Casey whined again.

"If we're going to do nothing more than sit here and argue over whose lines are whose, I'm leaving," Draco announced.

"You can't do that!" Casey exclaimed. Draco stood up.

"Meeting adjourned!" Casey shouted before Draco could officially leave. Draco glared at him and headed for the exit. Pansy chased him down. She slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow.

"Hey," she whispered.

"What do you want?" Draco asked. 

"What do you say we celebrate me getting invited to that meeting today in Hogsmeade," she suggested. 

"I'm thinking no," Draco replied. 

"Dray-kie," Pansy whined.

"I'm spending the day with Finley, I already told her I would," Draco said.

"What are you doing with Crabbe and Goyle?" Pansy asked.

"Want to baby-sit?" Draco asked. Pansy glared at him.

"You are not funny Draco Malfoy," she spat. Draco smiled sweetly at her and didn't bother mentioning that he had told Crabbe and Goyle to spend the day with Millicent, who would undoubtedly be following Pansy. 

"Are you sure you don't want to go with me?" Pansy asked.

"I've already talked to Finley," Draco repeated slowly. Pansy put on her best pouting face. She looked more like a pug than ever. 

"Are you sure there isn't room for one more in your little party?" she asked.

"YES!" Draco spat. He jerked his arm away from Pansy and stomped off down the hall. Pansy hurried after him. 

"Stay away from me Parkinson," Draco warned.

"Do you remember what happened to Blaise when we did the scavenger hunt?" Pansy asked. Draco cringed but Pansy didn't notice. 

"And my daddy," Pansy began.

"Shove it Pansy, so is my dad," Draco interrupted her. Pansy frowned at him.

"You shouldn't say that too loudly anyway," Draco instructed. 

"Oh great, so first I get rejected then I get lessons on how to be a good child of a death eater," Pansy spat. Draco glared at her and started up the stairs towards the Great Hall. 

%%%%%

"Hi you guys!" Hermione said happily as the four Gryffindors stepped over to the three Hufflepuffs and Mandy, the lone Ravenclaw. 

"Hey Hermione," Ernie replied, quite energetically. 

"Do you guys all know each other?" Hermione asked, looking around at her friends and at Ernie's. Most of the fifth years nodded, but Ginny shook her head.

"I'm Ernie, that's Justin, Mandy, and you should know Hannah by now," Ernie explained, glancing at Harry when he made his statement about Hannah. 

"I'm Ginny," Ginny replied. 

"And we know the rest of you," Justin said before anyone else could introduce themselves unnecessarily. 

"I should hope so, we only have two classes together," Hermione laughed. 

"Where is Fred?" Hannah asked.

"He decided to spend today with his seventh year friends," Hermione lied easily.

"So where are we going first?" Justin asked. 

"Honeydukes!" Ron and Ernie said immediately.

"Boys, you just had breakfast," Hermione scolded.

"So?" Ron asked innocently. Ernie just laughed. 

"We should probably go buy Dobby some socks to thank him for letting us borrow his tea cozy." Harry said.

"Socks?" Hannah asked.

"Dobby?" Mandy questioned.

"Dobby the house elf," Ron answered Mandy's question.

"He likes socks," Harry explained to Hannah. 

"Why?" Ernie asked.

"Because a sock got him freed from the Malfoys," Ron explained.

"Scum," Justin mumbled under his breath.

"What was that?" Ron asked.

"He called the Malfoys scum," Mandy said.

"They're not all bad," Ron said defensively. 

"Okay, so the little girl one seems alright," Justin admitted.

"Can we start walking towards Hogsmeade?" Ernie asked, looking in the direction of the village. The group didn't offer a verbal response but instead set off towards the village. 

"Can we go to Zonko's?" Justin asked as they walked.

"How about you boys go to Zonko's and we girls will go to Gladrags for socks," Hermione suggested. She wanted to keep herself as far away from Zonko's as possible. 

"I'd rather shop for socks," Harry said quickly. He wanted to avoid the twins at all costs.

"I'd quite like to go to Zonko's," Mandy said, smiling quickly at Ron. 

"Okay, so you boys and Mandy will go to Zonko's and we girls and Harry will go to Gladrags," Hermione laughed. 

"Sounds about right," Ron muttered. Harry glared at him.

"So what are the rest of you doing your History of magic projects on?" Ernie asked.

"The night Voldemort fell," Hannah said, smiling softly over at Harry. 

"The ministry during the first reign," Hermione said.

"Really now? That's interesting," Ernie, Hermione's partner, laughed. 

"Quidditch," Ron said.

"Figures," laughed Mandy.

"Fashion during the first reign," Justin said. Everyone looked at him, more than a little surprised. "What?" He asked, "That's what happens when you get Lavender Brown for a partner." Hermione laughed appreciatively. 

"Advances made in protection against certain curses developed during the first reign," Mandy said.

"Who is your partner?" Hermione asked.

"Blaise Zabini. He's actually not too bad for a Slytherin," Mandy laughed. 

"For a Slytherin," Hannah echoed with a slight laugh.

"Hey, I was just thinking about this Zonko's thing," Ron said. He hadn't looked happy since he was chosen to face the wrath of the twins.

"And?" Hermione asked.

"What is the point of coming in a big group if we're going to split up into our littler groups almost immediately?" He asked, shooting a playfully malicious glance at Harry, Hermione and Ginny. His three friends all glared at him. 

"He has a valid point," Hannah agreed.

"So we'll go to Gladrags if you all come with us to Zonko's," Ernie offered. Harry and Ginny both looked to Hermione for an answer. 

"Sounds like a plan to me," Hermione replied. Harry's and Ginny's jaws dropped and a triumphant look spread across Ron's face.

"Why Hermione?" Harry whispered. 

"If he subjects me to anything, I simply won't kiss him for a while," Hermione laughed.

"Good plan," Harry said, "But what about George?"

"Forget about George, what about the rest of us!" Ginny cried.

"What are you guy's talking about?" Justin asked.

"Twin issues," Ginny replied smoothly, not fully lying. 

"The Weasley twins?" Ernie asked. 

"Which others are there?" Ron replied.

"Patil and Malfoy," Mandy offered.

"Sad Ron, Astrid and Parvati are both in your house and you forgot about them," Harry laughed.

"Astrid especially," Ginny added. Ron glared playfully at both of them,

"How is life with little Malfoy?" Ernie asked.

"Wouldn't know," Ron replied crisply.

"Why wouldn't you?" Justin queried. 

"He lives in Slytherin. Now if you were asking about Astrid, she's a pretty cool little kid," Ron explained. 

"Aren't you afraid she's passing information to her death eater brothers?" Mandy asked.

"Not really," Hermione said, "The Malfoy siblings aren't great fans of the others."

"Draco and Keiran seem to get along rather well," Mandy said.

"But neither of them seem to care much for their sisters," Ron explained.

"Sisters?" Hannah asked.

"They've got a little sister, Emma, too," Ginny replied. Ginny didn't know about Barrett.

"Oh wow!" Ernie laughed. 

"Do any of you have any siblings?" Harry asked, relatively anxious to get the topic away from the Malfoys.

"I have an older sister, Lisa, and a younger sister, Dawn," Justin offered, "But neither of them are magical." 

"I have a younger brother, Robert, who will be a first year next year and a sister, Zoë, who is two years younger than Robert," Ernie said. The group looked to Mandy.

"I have four older brothers. Carter was a seventh year here when we were first years. Kevin, Drew and Lennon are all older than him," Mandy said. Ginny turned to Mandy with a broad smile on her face. "Finally someone else with too many older brothers!" she laughed. Mandy laughed too.

"They're not so bad because they're so much older than me," Mandy explained. 

"Lennon?" Ron asked.

"I'm muggle born. My parents are quite the fans of the Beatles," Mandy said, "they were actually in London during the Let It Be rooftop concert." Ron looked unimpressed, but Hermione turned to Mandy with an awestruck expression on her face. "Your parents were THERE!?" Hermione squealed.

"I take it someone else is a Beatles fan too," Mandy laughed. Hermione nodded enthusiastically. 

"Who, may I ask, are the Beatles?" Ron asked.

"Remember when you saw my stereo this summer at my house?" Hermione asked. Ron nodded. "The first song we ever listened to was by the Beatles."

"Oh, the 'nah nah nah nanana nah, na na na nah,' bit?" Ron asked.

"Something like that," Hermione replied with a laugh.

"'Hey Jude'?" Hannah asked. Hermione nodded.

"You like them too?" Ron asked. Hannah smiled and nodded at Ron.

"Are they very famous?" Ron questioned.

"They're to music what Shakespeare is to theatre," Justin replied.

"Shakespeare?"

"Just leave it at the Beatles are famous," Hermione said, shaking her head at her friend.

"Don't worry Ron, I didn't get it until I lived with these two for a few years," Ernie said, clapping Ron on his shoulder and indicated to Hannah and Justin. 

"Over Christmas we'll have to bring my CD player to your house and listen to some things," Hermione offered.

"Are you kidding? My father would confiscate a CD player to add to his collection in half a second," Ron laughed. 

"He's right, dad would," Ginny agreed. Hermione and Harry laughed appreciatively.

"Our father is a bit nuts over anything muggle," Ron explained to the confused Hufflepuffs and Mandy. 

"He has a collection of plugs and batteries," Harry added. 

"Really?" Hannah asked. Ginny and Ron nodded solemnly. 

"Are you sure we can't go to Honeydukes first?" Ernie asked. The group passed the first few houses marking the entrance to Hogsmeade. 

"Zonko's, then Gladrags, then Honeydukes," Hermione insisted.

"Okay Miss Organized," Ernie laughed. Hermione glared at him. 

"Do we really have to go to Zonko's?' Ginny asked.

"Yes, I'm out of dungbombs," Ernie replied. He turned towards the joke shop and everyone followed him, the Gryffindors more reluctant than the others. Ernie pulled open the door to the shop and was almost immediately bowled over by a tall sales woman holding a tray of delicious looking tarts. 

"Have a tart dear," said the woman, "Today is Zonko's 25th anniversary so we're celebrating." Ernie picked up a tart off of the tray and examined it carefully. Accepting a treat in a joke shop wasn't necessarily the wisest idea, but the store was decorated with floating balloons and streamers that twisted themselves in intricate patters near the ceiling. Every so often, a balloon would burst and shower the shop in glitter. Ernie figured the tart was okay so he popped it into his mouth and chewed vigorously. 

"Man these are good," Ernie said, turning to his friends. Justin immediately reached for a tart and swallowed it quickly. Hannah and Mandy reached for the tray, but Harry leaned over to Hannah.

"Don't go there," he whispered, "this is a joke shop after all." Hannah quickly pulled her hand away. Harry noticed Ron telling Mandy about the same thing. 

"SQUAWK!" came the only sound Ernie could manage from his mouth-turned beak. Justin's eyes grew wide and he clamped a feathery wing to his still human mouth. Quickly enough, he, too, was a bird.

"Thanks, Ron," Mandy laughed. Justin squawked angrily at them all. 

"Don't worry, it only lasts a few minutes," Ginny said. 

"Are the twins behind this?" Mandy asked. 

"Didn't Ernie say he needed dungbombs?" Ron asked, hurrying off towards the dungbomb display. Harry followed him closely. Hermione and Ginny immediately immersed themselves in perusing a case full of fake wands.

"Take that as a yes," Hannah laughed. Justin and Ernie squawked off after Ron and Harry. None of the girls noticed the full to bursting balloon hovering over their heads. A loud popping noise startled Hermione and Ginny away from the fake wands. Hannah and Mandy turned to look at the two Gryffindor girls. A fine glittery powder began to settle over all of them.

"Oh neat, we got hit by one of the exploding balloons," Mandy squealed. Hannah tried to brush the glitter out of her hair. 

"Oh my!" Hermione exclaimed. She looked from Ginny to Mandy to Hannah. 

"What is it, Hermione?" Mandy asked.

"I believe we got hit by a joke," Hermione replied.

"HERMIONE YOUR HAIR IS PURPLE!" Hannah cried.

"Yours is lime green," Hermione said. Mandy pulled a strand of her formerly brown now bright blue hair around to examine it. 

"Oh no!" She complained, "how will he ever notice me now with blue hair?" 

"He who?" Hermione asked.

"I figure blue hair will make you more noticeable," Ginny laughed. 

"I can't say," Mandy replied, "And blue hair doesn't exactly make me attractive."

"Mine is blaze orange, don't complain," Ginny instructed.

"He who?" Hermione asked again, raising her eyebrows at Mandy.

"Can't say," Mandy repeated.

"Can't or don't want to?" Ginny asked.

"Don't really want to," Mandy clarified. 

"If we guess will you tell us?" Hermione asked, her bright purple hair quickly forgotten. Mandy looked nervously at Hannah.

"If she doesn't I will," Hannah said with a smile.

"HANNAH!" Mandy cried, "YOU WOULDN'T!"

"Mandy," Hannah replied, "I would."

"Alright, guess," Mandy said grumpily.

"Um," Ginny began, "Harry."

"Nope," Mandy replied, flashing an evil grin at Hannah. Hannah turned a bright shade of red that directly contrasted with her green hair.

"Ernie," Hermione suggested. 

"Nope," Mandy said.

"Justin," Ginny guessed.

"No," Mandy said. Hannah laughed sort of nervously. 

"Well, just so we've guessed everyone in today's group," Ginny began.

"Ron," Hermione finished. 

"Yes," Mandy mumbled. She instantly looked at her shoes and turned redder than Hannah had been a few moments earlier.

"Now its only fair that you two tell us who you like," she said.

"Fred," Hermione replied.

"As if that's not obvious," Mandy said, playfully rolling her eyes at Hermione.

"I'm actually sort of, what would you call it Hermione?" Ginny asked.

"You like him and he likes you but circumstances won't allow the two of you to be together," Hermione replied.

"Right, what she said," Ginny said. 

"How romantic," Mandy squealed.

"Who is it?" Hannah asked.

"He goes to Beauxbatons," Ginny replied.

"How even more romantic! He speaks French!" Hannah cried.

"Don't get her started on some of the stuff he's said to her," Hermione replied. Ginny glared at her friend.

"So who is it?" Hannah asked again.

"Braeden Granger," Ginny replied.

"Wait, Granger?" Mandy asked, immediately looking at Hermione.

"He's my 16 year old cousin. He's a sixth year at Beauxbatons," Hermione explained.

"We met at Hermione's house this summer," Ginny added. 

"So what does he look like?" Hannah asked.

"He's about Ron's height, but skinnier. He's got blonde hair and bright blue eyes and he plays keeper for their school Quidditch team," Ginny explained. 

"Sounds cute," Mandy said. 

"I thought you liked my brother," Ginny said, smirking at Mandy. Mandy immediately turned bright red. 

"There is nothing wrong with that," Hermione replied, patting Mandy on her shoulder. 

"You only say that because you like one of my other brothers," Ginny laughed.

"Yes," Hermione replied, "And you like my cousin, so you just lost your privilege to talk about us liking your brothers."

"So Hannah, who do you like?" Ginny asked, turning on the Hufflepuff.

"Oh please, as if that's not blatantly obvious," Mandy sighed. Hannah glared at her.

"Come on Hannah, tell us," Hermione urged. Hannah blushed the brightest blush Hermione had ever seen on someone who wasn't a Weasley. 

"Lemme repeat myself," Mandy said, "It's blatantly obvious." Hannah glared at Mandy again.

"Harry," Ginny and Hermione chorused. Hannah smiled sheepishly and nodded at the two girls.

"Are we discussing Hannah's celebrity crush?" Ernie asked. He had molted and walked back towards the girls.

"Yes," Mandy laughed.

"Harry's not a celebrity," Hermione insisted.

"No, he's only the most famous wizard in the world but he's not a celebrity," Ernie countered sarcastically.

"He doesn't act like it," Ginny defended her friend.

"I'll give him that," Ernie agreed.

"Are you guys ready to go?" Hannah asked.

"No wait, I need dungbombs," Mandy insisted.

"Be careful. We can't leave yet because whoever has gotten in here today charmed the floor in front of the dungbombs to turn gooey and then re harden when your shoes are sunk a few centimeters in if you stand there too long," Ernie explained. Mandy started over to where Harry, Ron and Justin still stood. 

"I'll keep that in mind," Mandy said.

"Nice hair, by the way," Ernie laughed. Mandy glared at him.

"So Harry and Ron remain the only two who haven't been hit by a prank," Hermione said.

"Not exactly. They're stuck there in front of the dungbombs for a while longer," Ernie said.

"Why?" Ginny asked.

"They got stuck in the floor and the sales lady said it would take a few minutes to wear off," Ernie explained.

"Great," Hermione laughed.

"What exactly happened to your hair?" Ernie asked.

"I'd watch out for the exploding balloons," Hermione advised. 

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ernie asked.

"They pop and dump glitter on your head that makes your hair do this," Hannah said, indicating to the lime green hair on her head.

"You know, Hannah, that's not a bad color on you," Ernie laughed. Hannah glared at him.

"Harry will simply love it," Ernie continued. 

"You are not funny Ernest McMillan," Hannah spat.

"Oohhh, full name," Ginny chided. 

"Actually that's Ernest Andrew McMillan," Ernie corrected. Ginny and Hermione both laughed. Mandy started back towards the group with a bag of dungbombs in her hand.

"You didn't get caught by the floor," Ernie said.

"Ron didn't let me step on it. I pointed to what I wanted and he handed it to me," Mandy explained. 

"How SSSWWWWWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEETTTTTTTT!!!" Ernie gushed in what, even if he didn't mean it to be, was a dead-on Lavender/Parvati imitation. 

"Why would you ever need dungbombs?" Hermione asked.

"Those Ravenclaws need to loosen up a bit," Mandy replied with a smile.

"So you help them out on occasion?" Ginny guessed.

"Yep," Mandy laughed. She and Ernie started over towards the counter to pay for their selections.

"I wonder how much long this hair color will last," Hannah said.

"Oh, it should be gone in at least 24 hours," the saleslady with the tray of tarts said from behind the girls.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Hannah cried.

"No. It could wear off quicker. The designers said it's differed from person to person on all of the people they've tested it on," the lady explained.

"Who exactly are the designers?" Hannah asked. 

"I don't necessarily think they want anyone to know until this test of their products is over," the lady replied. 

"Are they twins?" Hannah asked.

"Yes," the lady replied. Hannah turned to Ginny and glared at her. 

"Did you know about this?" she asked.

"We all did," Hermione replied.

"Thus the reason you wanted to go to Gladrags," Hannah supplied. Hermione and Ginny both nodded.

"Why didn't you talk Ron out of his stupid idea of everyone staying together?" Hannah asked.

"Hermione didn't think her precious Fred would pull any pranks on her," Ginny replied.

"That and it would have looked rather suspicious," Hermione said, glaring at Ginny.

"You don't know Fred very well," Ginny laughed. Hannah shook her head at the two of them.

"Now that Fred and George have successfully pranked all of us," Ron said as he walked over to the group.

"Some of us twice," Justin muttered. The floor caught him, too.

"Are you ready to go to Gladrags?" Ron continued. 

"I don't know if I can show my face in Gladrags with hair like this," Hermione replied.

"It's a nice color on you," Ron laughed. Hermione glared at him. 

"Could we at least step outside to decide what to do next before we get caught by anything else?" Justin asked, looking warily around. The group began walking towards the door but was stopped by a different sales person.

"Have some candies," the man offered.

"NO THANK YOU!" Justin cried just before tearing through the door. The rest of the group politely declined and hurried after Justin.

"And there aren't anything wrong with these," laughed the man. 

"So Gladrags then?" Justin asked.

"No thank you," Ginny and Mandy both said.

"I don't particularly fancy going anywhere with this hair," Hannah agreed. Hermione pulled her wand out of her pocket and muttered a quick spell. Soon enough, she had a Gryffindor-red bandana in her hand. She pulled a clip out of her backpack and clipped her hair up. Then she covered the expanse of purple with the red bandana and tied it at the back of her neck. 

"Cute, Hermione," Hannah said. 

"Thanks," Hermione replied. 

"I want one," whined Mandy.   
"Your hair doesn't look so bad," Ron said.

"Are you kidding? I look like Finley Alexander!"

"What?" Ron asked.

"Haven't you seen her?" Mandy replied, "she's put blue streaks in her hair."

"She has?" Ginny asked.

"Yes," Hannah replied, "but her hair is dark enough that it doesn't look bad." 

"So are we going to Gladrags?" Justin asked. 

"As soon as Hermione makes me a bandana," Hannah replied sweetly.

"I think I'll leave my hair like this," Mandy said. Ron's compliment had changed her opinion of her electric blue hair. 

"What color?" Hermione asked.

"Purple," Hannah replied. Hermione muttered a spell and then handed Hannah a purple bandana. Hannah tied it over her lime green hair. 

"Ginny?" Hermione asked. Ginny waved one of her bright orange tresses at Hermione.

"How much of a difference do you really think this is?" She asked. Everyone laughed appreciatively.

"So we can go now?" Ron asked when they had all calmed down. Hermione and Mandy started walking towards Gladrags in lieu of a response. 

"So you really like Ron?" Hermione asked Mandy. She had quickly looked back to make sure her tall red-headed friend was well out of earshot. Sure enough, He, Harry, Justin, Hannah and Ernie were consumed in a conversation, probably about Quidditch.

"Yes," Mandy admitted. 

"He's a sweet guy," Hermione said, "but not much of a kisser."

"You've kissed him?" Mandy asked.

"Once," Hermione replied, "but it was like kissing my brother. He agreed that it was like kissing a sibling."

"That's pretty funny," Mandy laughed.

"It was," Hermione agreed.

"So does this mean I have your permission to pursue him?' Mandy asked.

"Of course. Why wouldn't you? I mean, I'm dating his brother, not him," Hermione said.

"Good point. Its just that the three of you are so close that I wasn't sure how it would go over." 

"I don't think you're going to get any sort of problems or interference from me or Harry," Hermione said, "but Ron can be a stubborn arse sometimes. And a bit oblivious."

"Oblivious?" Mandy asked.

"Oblivious. It took him three and a half years to realize I was a girl," Hermione laughed. 

"Oh my," Mandy said.

"But don't worry. I think he's become a bit better at identifying our gender," Hermione replied. 

"Oh. You won't say anything to him will you?" Mandy asked.

"Nope," Hermione said, "And Ginny won't either. Unless of course you want us too!"

"NO!" Mandy exclaimed. 

"Alright," Hermione replied. 

"What are you girls talking about?" Ginny asked, walking over to Hermione and Mandy.

"Your brother," Hermione replied.

"Which one?" Ginny asked.

"Alroy," Hermione replied. Ginny laughed.

"His middle name is Alroy?" Mandy asked.

"Yep," Ginny replied, "mum reckoned it would be cute."

"It's not," Mandy said.

"Well. It is when you factor in that all of my brothers middle names mean red or red haired," Ginny explained.

"Okay, that is a bit cuter. What is your middle name?"

"Eirene," Ginny said, "yours?"

"LeighAnne," Mandy replied.

"Amanda LeighAnne?" Ginny asked.

"Yep," Mandy said, "And yours Hermione?"

"Hermione Lenore."

"That's pretty."

"Thanks." 

"We're HERE!" Justin cried. He pulled open the door to Gladrags and led the way inside.

"Does Justin like clothes shopping or something?" Ginny asked.

"I think he just likes to be goofy," Mandy replied quickly. Justin headed straight for a rack of feather boas and picked out a pink one. He wrapped it around his neck and turned to the group.

"How do I look?" He asked.

"Like a gigantic moron!" Ernie cried.

"That hurt," Justin said, taking a few steps backwards. He stepped into a rack of hats and turned to look at them. He chose a fuzzy green cowboy hat from the very top of the rack. He turned back around to look at Hannah.

"Hannah, dahling, this would go fabulously with that wonderful new hairstyle of yours!" he cried, dropping the hat onto Hannah's head. It clashed horribly with the purple bandana. 

"Justin, Halloween isn't for another month," Hannah laughed. 

"Oh, right," Justin said, allowing the boa to drop from his shoulders. 

"Socks!" Harry exclaimed, running over towards the sock display. Ron and Hermione hurried after him. 

"So what kind should we get?" Hermione asked, surveying the wall of socks in front of her.

"What were you and Mandy talking about?" Ron asked rather conspiratorially. 

"Nothing," Hermione replied, a little too quickly.

"You two sure did have an awfully long conversation about nothing," Ron joked. Hermione smiled at her friend. 

"You're not going to tell me are you?" Ron asked.

"Nope," Hermione replied.

"If I guess will you tell me?" Ron asked.

"Probably not," Hermione said, honestly. 

"Who does she like?" Ron questioned.

"Not telling," Hermione said.

"So you know?" Ron asked.

"Yes," Hermione replied. 

"Tell me," Ron insisted.

"Nope," Hermione said, "I promised her I wouldn't tell anyone."

"If I guess will you tell me?" Ron asked.

"Nope," Hermione replied.

"Do I have a chance?" Ron asked.

"Have you realized she's a girl?" Hermione asked.

"You're never going to let me live that down are you?" Hermione thought about Ron's question for a moment.

"Probably not," she replied honestly. 

"So do I have a chance?" Ron asked again.

"You'll never know until you try," Hermione replied.

"Okay, I think I've found some!" Harry exclaimed, holding up two pairs of socks. One pair was striped in the colors of the girl's hair. The other was a multitude of colors, swirling wildly about. 

"They're mood changing," Harry explained when he noticed Ron and Hermione eyeing the socks, "And these are a different pattern every day of the week."

"Those colors are horrid together," Hermione said. 

"They're what we'd have if we lined you, Hannah, Ginny and Mandy up next to each other and you and Hannah took the bandana's off," Ron laughed.

"Not funny, Alroy," Hermione cried.

"I thought it was," Ron laughed. Hermione glared at him.

"Children, that's enough," Harry scolded in a highly fatherly way. Hermione and Ron both turned to him with pouts on their faces. He laughed at both of them. "Really mature mates, really mature." He started off to pay for the socks so Ron and Hermione returned to Ernie, Justin, Ginny, Hannah and Mandy. Justin had draped the pink boa around Mandy's shoulders and was spinning her about the store. Hannah and Ginny had each chosen a hat and pair of sunglasses from the costume section of the store. They were both talking to Ernie, who was trying his hardest to pretend as if he didn't know them. Ginny had pulled on a red, yellow, and green stocking cap with fake black dread locks that hung down over her blaze orange hair. She wore pink, star shaped sunglasses. Hannah had chosen a big floppy straw hat and large aviator sunglasses. Ron and Hermione had to laugh at the sight of the girls, but since they were so busy terrorizing Ernie, they didn't seem to notice. The bells above the door tinkled and a group of students walked in.

"Hiya Ron, Hermione!" Colin Creevey called from the back of the group.

"Hey Colin, come here for a second, will you?" Ron asked. Ginny and Hannah hadn't abandoned their ridiculous outfits when more people arrived and Mandy and Justin were still dancing wildly about. 

"Yes?" Colin asked.

"Do you have your camera?" Ron asked.

"Of course," Colin replied. He pulled the camera from a pocket of his robe.

"Can you get a picture of Hannah, Ginny and Ernie and them maybe Justin and Mandy?" Hermione asked.

"Sure thing," Colin agreed cheerily. He turned and aimed the camera at Ernie, Hannah and Ginny. He snapped the picture. As soon as the flash went off, Hannah and Ginny turned on Colin.

"Colin Padraig Creevey!" Ginny screeched. Colin pointed over to still dancing Mandy and Justin.

"Let me get a quick picture of them and hand my camera off to someone, then you can rip my head off!" He insisted. He clicked a quick picture of Mandy and Justin before Ginny and Hannah could agree, disagree, or even really begin to process his statement. He stuffed the camera back in its pocket the turned back to Ginny and Hannah. 

"Alright, let the attack of Bob Marley and Grandma the police man commence," he announced.

"Where was I?" Ginny asked.

"Colin Padraig Creevey?" Hannah guessed.

"Oh, right," Ginny replied. "COLIN PADRAIG CREEVEY!!"

"Yes?" Colin asked sweetly, as if dealing with a raving Ginny Weasley was nothing new to him.

"Why?" Ginny cried.

"You know Gin, you'd be much easier to take seriously if you'd loose the dreads and the movie star sunglasses," Colin suggested. Ginny ripped the hat off of her head and pulled the sunglasses from her face. Only then did Colin catch sight of her day-glo orange hair. He erupted with laugher. 

"I take that back," Colin gasped, "With that hair, you're no less easy to take seriously!"

"Not funny, Colin," Hannah warned. She, too, had removed her hat and glasses but the purple bandana covered her lime-green hair. 

"What happened?" Colin asked.

"Accident at Zonko's," Hannah replied, pulling the bandana from her hair and letting her lime green hair fall about her shoulders. 

"How long is that supposed to last?" Colin laughed. 

"The inventors of the product aren't quite sure," Ginny replied, quite acerbically.

"Would the inventors be your twin brothers?" Colin asked.

"Hey you guys, I'm ready to go!" Harry cried, walking towards the small group. 

"Alright," Ron and Ginny said, a little too enthusiastically. Harry's interruption had gotten them out of answering Colin's question. 

"To Honeydukes?" Harry asked.

"TO HONEYDUKES!" Ernie cried. He held his fist out from in front of him like a muggle superhero and ran out of Gladrags. The group trailed after him a bit less enthusiastically. 

*****

"Did Pansy give you much trouble?" Finley asked as she and Draco walked towards Hogsmeade.

"Not really," Draco replied with a slight laugh.

"Surprising," Finley said.

"She wanted to 'celebrate' her dad being inducted," Draco explained.

"He is now?" Finley asked.

"Yes," Draco replied.

"Daddy is expecting to get his invitation letter any time now," Finley said. 

"Really?" Draco asked.

"Yes," Finley replied. She tucked a strand of blue hair behind her ear.

"What exactly possessed you to do that?" Draco asked, as if noticing Finley's week-old blue-streaked black hair for the first time. 

"I think it looks cute," Finley replied.

"Oh," Draco said.

"And if you don't think so, I don't particularly care," Finley continued. Draco smirked down at her. Finley, at 5'2", had more attitude packed in her diminutive body than any one person probably should. 

"I didn't say anything," Draco cried.

"But you were thinking it," Finley accused.

"Right. Since when did you become Trelawney?" Draco asked.

"Since the fates informed me that you can be an arrogant prick when you want to be," Finley replied.

"Ouch!" Draco said, playfully. 

"Notice I said can be and want to be," Finley pointed out.

"Yes, I noticed. Very good, you've gained control of the English language," Draco laughed. 

"You've gained the ability to walk upright and opposable thumbs," Finley snapped, "Better than I can say for most of your gender."

"Oh, so is that why you decided to come with me today?" Draco asked, "I'm the best option you have because the rest are gorillas?"

"Ah, something like that," Finley joked. Draco glared at her. 

"I think I shall go find Crabbe and Goyle and inform them you would like to spend the rest of the day with them," Draco said. He began walking with a faster pace and a more purposeful stride. Finley caught the arm of his robe.

"Draco, NO!" she cried. 

"Crabbe! Goyle!" Draco called in response. Finley tugged on his sleeve a little harder. 

"DRACO MALFOY!" She cried.

"Yes?" Draco asked. He stopped dead in his tracks, causing Finley to crash into him. He looked down on her with an innocent smile on his face. Innocent for Draco Malfoy, that is. 

"You are such a prat!" Finley exclaimed and stomped off towards Hogsmeade.

"If I'm such a prat, why are you spending time with me?" Draco asked.

"It's keeping us both away from undesirable people isn't it?" Finley queried.

"Wait, who is undesirable to you?"

"Debra Bulstrode is quite annoying," Finley replied, "And Frank Smith."

"Who is Frank Smith?" Draco asked.

"Ariadne's little brother," Finley said.

"Oh," Draco replied.

"Yeah, Debra and Frank aren't my favorite people on the planet, but they insist on following me around."

"Much like Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle," Draco said.

"I thought you liked Crabbe and Goyle." The pair had resumed their walk towards Hogsmeade at a more leisurely pace. 

"Not exactly. Lucius made an agreement of some sorts with their fathers that they would act as bodyguards for me while I'm here," Draco replied.

"Why the hell do you need bodyguards?" Finley asked.

"Lucius is a sick fuck," Draco replied, "And that's the best reason I can think of. Of course, they weren't much help this summer."

"What happened this summer?" Finley asked. 

"I got into a bit of a fight with Weasel, Potter and a mudblood," Draco replied. "I waited for Crabbe and Goyle to step in, but the mudblood broke my jaw." 

"Granger broke your jaw?" Finley asked.

"Yes, but not the one you're thinking of. She's got a cousin who goes to Beauxbatons and it was him," Draco replied.

"Oh," Finley said. 

"Stupid bodyguards aren't even useful when you need them to be," Draco muttered. Finley laughed easily at him. 

"So where are we going first?" Finley asked. 

"How about the Three Broomsticks, I'm in quite the mood for lunch," Draco replied. Because of the meeting in the common room, he and Finley had gotten a quite late start to Hogsmeade.

"Sounds good to me," Finley replied, "then we need to go to Zonko's. I need some dungbombs and fireworks."

"Alright," Draco agreed. 

*****

"Finally! Food!" Ernie cried, sinking into a large circular booth in the Three Broomsticks. 

"Like you didn't eat enough from Honeydukes," Hannah chided. She slid onto the bench after him. Justin slid in on the other side followed closely by Ginny. Ron took a seat next to his sister. Harry and Hermione practically dived after Hannah before Mandy could sit next to her friend. Hermione smiled guiltily up at Mandy while Harry smirked across the table at Ron. Mandy huffily sat down next to Ron. 

"Shall I go order?" Harry asked the group. 

"Certainly," Hermione replied.

"Fish and chips and butterbeer for everyone?" Harry questioned. He received a round of affirmative nods. Hermione moved to allow Harry out of the booth.

"What are we going to do after this?" Justin asked.

"Shall we walk up to the Shrieking Shack?" Ginny suggested.

"Good idea baby Weasley," Justin laughed.

"Don't call me that," Ginny warned.

"What are you going to do about it?" Justin jokingly replied.

"Baby Weasley implies I have older siblings," Ginny began, "Six of them to be exact. And all of them are brothers." Ron glared appropriately menacingly over at Justin. Justin cowered back in feigned fear.

"Down boy," Hermione and Ginny joked at the same time. Ron instantly smiled at Justin.

"When is our food going to be here? I'm starving!" Ernie whined.

"Ron," Hermione laughed, "I believe we may have found someone who is more continually hungry than you are."

"Not possible," Ron replied.

"I don't know," Hannah replied, "Ernie found the kitchens within three weeks of being at Hogwarts."

"It took Ron until last year and even then I had to show him," Hermione laughed.

"You mean you found the kitchens before Ron did?" Hannah asked.

"Yes. But Fred and George told me. It's not like I actually went looking for them," Hermione explained. 

"Is something wrong with Harry?" Hannah asked suddenly. Every head at the table snapped over to where the famous boy stood in line, furiously and repetitively raking his fingers across his forehead.

"What makes you say that?" Hermione asked.

"He hasn't taken his hands off of his forehead for a while now," Hannah explained.

"He's probably okay," Ron said.

"Dandruff?" Hermione suggested. 

"He has dark hair, Hannah would notice if he had dandruff," Mandy replied quickly. She looked quite happy in her seat next to Ron. Hannah glared testily at her. 

"Does his scar really hurt?" Ernie asked.

"Sometimes," Ron said.

"Oh wow. I figured most of that was rumor," Ernie said. Hermione noticed Hannah looking down at her hands. 

"I think we should quit talking about Harry until he gets back over here," Hermione said, a tone of finality in her voice. 

"When is the first school Quidditch match?" Justin asked.

"December against Durmstrang," Ron replied.

"When do you all travel to France?" Ernie asked.

"Not soon enough," Ginny replied.

"February," Hermione came up with a more reasonable reply.

"Why are you so excited about the France match?" Justin asked.

"Her BOYFRIEND is on the Beauxbatons team," Mandy replied.

"He's not my boyfriend," Ginny said, looking sadly at the table. 

"The guy she likes is on the Beauxbatons team," Hermione corrected. 

"Hey, guys look at that!" Ron quietly exclaimed, pointing to the door. Instantly six heads snapped in the direction of his finger.

"Way to be discrete," Ron laughed. Draco Malfoy had just strolled through the door with his arm draped lazily around one Finley Alexander. 

"What's so surprising about that?" Mandy asked.

"A girl, voluntarily being seen with that git?" Ron questioned.

"A girl who isn't Pansy Parkinson," Hermione amended.

"Does Parkinson count anyway?" Ernie asked.

"She's an insult to our gender," Hannah insisted. 

"I'm going to go see if Harry needs help with the butter beer," Ron said suddenly. Mandy stood up and let him out of the booth and then slid back in next to Ginny. He started over towards his friend. 

"Hermione Lenore Granger, you and Harry are going to get it for that little trick!" Mandy exclaimed as soon as Ron was out of earshot.

"Don't worry about them Mandy, my brother is completely oblivious," Ginny said.

"He probably wrote it off as Harry wanting to sit next to Hannah, and where I'm left handed, I need to sit here," Hermione said, indicating the place she sat. 

"You're left handed?" Ernie asked.

"Well no, but it took Ron 4 years to notice I'm a girl, do you think he's going to notice which hand I feed myself with?" 

"Oh come on, he's not that completely oblivious!" Mandy exclaimed. 

"Want to bet?" Hermione replied with a sweet smile. 

"He really is," Ginny agreed. 

"Oh wow, it's the mudblood without her precious Potty and Weasel," Draco sneered from the open section of the table.

"Oh wow, it's the pureblood prick without his bollocks," Ginny spat, glaring at Draco.

"You know, Brocklehurst, that look is better on me," Finley said, looking at Mandy's electric blue locks.

"We didn't have a choice in our hair color," Ginny said, glaring at Finley.

"I don't see a difference in yours," Draco replied coolly. Luckily, Ginny couldn't do wandless magic, so Draco didn't freeze under her deathly stare. 

"Problems?" Ron asked as he and Harry approached the table, each carrying four butter beers. At the reappearance of Ron and Harry, Draco tightened his grip on Finley and pulled her towards a far corner.

"He is such an arse," Ron said, as more of a statement than the exclamation the situation would usually call for. 

"That, he is," Ernie said. Harry dragged his knuckles across his scar again as he sank into his seat next to Hannah.

"Harry dear, does your head itch?" Hannah asked. Harry nodded dumbly, still rubbing his forehead.

"Leave it to Abbott to be really blunt about it," Mandy laughed. 

"Oh, it's alright," Harry said, taking a sip of his butter beer and leaning back in his seat, trying to ignore the persistent and noticeably worse itching in his forehead.

*****

"What did you want?" Astrid asked the lone figure at the end of the hall. She clutched a crumpled piece of parchment in her right hand and kept her left on her wand still in her pocket.

"So you decided to abandon your hero worship of Potter and Weasley to meet me here?" Keiran asked. He turned away from the portrait in the hallway to look at his sister.

"You know as well as I do, Keiran Malfoy, that Harry and Ron are in Hogsmeade with everyone else above third year," Astrid spat, hand still steady on her wand. 

"So what do you know about Harry and Ron?" Keiran asked.

"Well, Harry has green eyes, Ron has red hair, they both play Quidditch," Astrid began.

"Useful information, Astrid, useful!" Keiran insisted, crossing his arms defensively across his chest. Astrid glared at him. 

"Harry sleeps in his boxers and Ron likes to sleep with the bed curtains open," Astrid said, glare morphing to a Malfoy smirk. 

"How do you know?" Keiran asked. His eyes narrowed and Astrid could almost see the thoughts processing in his head.

"Sarcasm, Keiran, sarcasm," Astrid replied. 

"You're a disgrace to the Malfoy name," Keiran spat. Astrid took a few steps back from his twin.

"No, Keiran, I'm not," Astrid said evenly, "I just might be able to redeem it." 

"I personally don't see the point of having a twin in Gryffindor if you're not even going to make yourself useful," Keiran spat.

"Oh, so we're twins now?" Astrid asked, "What's different now than the previous eleven years." 

"Oh I give up, your traitorous Gryffindor tendencies are too much to deal with," Keiran said, "you're a disgrace to the Malfoy name."

"I believe we've established that," Astrid replied. 

"You're nothing without your family Astrid, NOTHING!" Keiran exclaimed.

"No Keiran, you're wrong," Astrid replied, turning swiftly on her heel.

"Oh am I?" Keiran asked.

"Yes," Astrid replied as she walked away, "YOU'RE nothing without ME!"

*****

"Mother you are too kind!" Carter Brocklehurst said as he sank his teeth into a warm chocolate chip cookie. He leaned over and planted a sloppy, chocolaty kiss on his mother's cheek. 

"Thanks Carter," Clare replied, wiping the chocolate from her face. 

"Are you gonna send some to Mandy?" Carter asked.

"I think I will do just that," Clare replied. She turned her back to her youngest son and started towards a cabinet to get a container for the cookies. 

"Want me to owl them to her?" Carter asked. 

"Yes please, I hate dealing with that horrid animal!" Clare exclaimed as she placed cookies into a tin.

"Oh mum, Hercules isn't that bad," Carter laughed.

"I suppose you don't think so, you've been dealing with the things since you were 11," Clare replied.

"So only 10 years," Carter laughed. He ran his fingers through his sandy blonde hair and smiled at his mother.

"I really don't know how you and Amanda handle it," Clare said, shaking her head. 

"I really don't know how you, dad, Lennon, Kevin and Drew handle it," Carter countered. Clare shook her head at her son. 

"Speaking of Drew, he's going to be here shortly," Clare said.

"Well then can I have the cookies so I can leave?" Carter asked, "I'm not particularly in the mood to deal with him."

"Carter, just because your brother isn't magic doesn't mean you have to dislike him so much," Clare said.

"I don't dislike him because he isn't magic. He doesn't like me because I am," Carter replied.

"Carter Samuel Brocklehurst," Clare scolded. "If you would just try." 

"If Drew would just try," Carter said.

"Christmas?" Clare asked.

"Is Mandy coming home?" 

"I've discussed the possibility with Amanda and she may try to come in for the holidays," Clare replied. 

"If Mandy is here, I'll be here," Carter said, making a mental note to himself to ask Mandy to stay at school. He didn't particularly want to deal with any of his magic-hating older brothers, and he knew Mandy wouldn't either. 

"Well, here are your cookies. And you are not to eat any of Amanda's before you send them to her," Clare said, handing two tins to Carter. 

"Okay mum," Carter replied, dropping another kiss on his mother's cheek.

"Bye Carter," Clare said.

"Love you mum," Carter said.

"Love you too," Clare replied. She watched as her youngest son turned and left the kitchen of the house. He let himself out the front door and hopped into his blue Volkswagen Beetle. She sighed and thought of the imminent visit of her middle child, Drew. Drew was 22, only a year older than Carter, and the two had been best friends right up to the point Carter got his letter to go away to Hogwarts. Drew had become insanely jealous of his brother and from then on, the boys rarely spoke. Her two oldest sons didn't take much interest in their youngest brother or little sister either, but at 28 and 34, Kevin and Lennon could afford to be distant from Carter and Mandy. Clare poured herself a cup of tea and sat down at the kitchen table to wait for Drew.

%%%%%

Petrograd Parkinson "popped" into the woods at the back of the Brocklehurst house on the outskirts of London. He adjusted the black mask over his face and strode purposefully to the back door of the house. Without knocking, he flung the back door open and walked right into the warm kitchen. 

"Hey Drew," Clare said, turning to look at her middle son, the one child named after her late husband. Rather than Drew, she found a tall man in a long black cloak and a black mask. She chuckled lightly to herself.

"You know Carter, that's not exactly the best way to get back on your brother's good side," Clare laughed. 

_"Avada Kedavra_," Petrograd replied, pointing his wand directly at Clare. A burst of green light filled the kitchen, and Clare fell back in her chair, eyes open grotesquely, mouth open limply. Petrograd took one last look at the woman and headed back out to the woods. He paused for a moment in the back yard and fired the dark mark into the air before apparating away from the house. 

%%%%%

"So then," Ron continued.

"RON!" Hermione cried, "We really do not have to tell this story right now! My mother should be kicked for telling you in the first place, but she was drunk! You're NOT! You have no excuse!" Ron looked over at Hermione with a surprised look on his face. 

_"Hey Drew_,_"_ The tingling in Harry's scar increased a bit. He dragged his fingers across his scar and tried to shake the mental image of the woman sitting at the kitchen table he'd never seen before. 

"Finish telling the story," Ernie urged.

"Ron," Hermione warned. The tingling in Harry's scar turned into a dull ache.

_"You know Carter, that's not exactly the best way to get back on your brother's good side,"_ The mystery woman laughed. Harry noticed a man in a black cloak and mask standing a few feet away from her. He assumed what was getting ready to happen.

"Hermione, I need up," Harry said. Hermione slipped out of the booth and Harry bolted towards the door.

"What's up with him?" Hannah asked.

"Doesn't like crowded spaces too much," Ron lied. Harry paused for a minute, unsure of whether to go outside or head towards the bathroom. He chose outside and stepped quickly into the street. The friends peered out of the window at him. 

"Is he okay?" Mandy asked. Harry had both hands clasped to his scar. The pain was becoming a bit more apparent. Ron sprang to his feet.

"I'm not sure, but you guys need to stay here," he said. He looked pointedly at Hermione before heading towards the door. 

_"Avada Kedavra!"_ came the death eater's curse before the familiar flash of green light filled Harry's head. Pain ripped through his scar. Harry clasped his hands to his forehead and tried not to collapse right there in the street. He saw the woman go limp and only then noticed a picture in the corner behind her. A man, a woman, and five smiling children sat in the photograph. The smallest of the children and the only girl was none other than Mandy Brocklehurst. Harry felt a strong arm around his shoulders.

"Harry, man, are you okay?" Ron asked. He grasped his friend's shoulders tightly to keep him upright. Harry nodded dumbly. Ron began walking him away from the Three Broomsticks window.

"Ron, Mandy's mum is dead," Harry gasped, "Death eater attack." Ron's face went white and he almost lost his grip on Harry. 

"Are you sure?" Ron whispered. Harry nodded, willing the pain in the scar to go away. "She said something about Drew and Carter. Those are two of Mandy's brothers I think. And I saw a family portrait in the background. Mandy was definitely in it."

"What do we do?" Ron asked.

"Dumbledore," Harry said, "I'm surely not breaking that news to Mandy."

"Act normal, here they come," Ron said. He noticed the booth inside vacating, and Justin and Ernie pitching money onto the table to pay for the meals. Harry stood upright and tried to pull his hands away from his scar. 

"Harry!" Hannah cried, rushing over to him.

"I'm okay," Harry said weakly, "My head just hurts a bit." Hannah brushed her fingers over the scar, pushing Harry's hair back from his forehead. He smiled at her. 

"Are you sure you're okay?" Mandy asked.

"He's fine," Ron replied rather quickly. Hermione looked imploringly from one boy to the other. Ron smiled nervously at her.

"Everything is fine," He said aloud. Hermione caught his "we'll talk later" message and just nodded.

"HERMIONE! THEY LIKE US!" Fred screeched, running down the street towards the group. Hermione turned to face her boyfriend.

"What?" she asked.

"Niamh Zonkovich has agreed to start marketing Weasley's Wizard Wheezes!" Fred cried.

"That's fabulous!" Hermione said, jumping into Fred's outstretched arms. She covered his lips with a deep kiss.

"AAWWW!" chorused Mandy, Ginny and Hannah. 

"Let's go celebrate," Fred suggested. Hermione looked back at Ron, who, in turn, looked to Harry.

"Go," Harry said simply.

"Alright!" Hermione said, "Let's go celebrate!" She laced her fingers through Fred's and they headed back up the street in the direction Fred had just come.

"So where to now?" Ginny asked.

"The castle?" Harry weakly suggested.

"I needed to go mail this to Braeden," Ginny said, showing a small package.

"So you're going to the post office then," Ron said.

"I really want to go back to the castle though," Harry said. 

"I'll go with you," Hannah offered.

"As will I," Ron replied. 

"Me too," Mandy agreed.

"We've got nothing better to really do," Justin said, looking at Ernie.

"That's fine, you guys go. I'll find Jae and Colin," Ginny said.

"Alright, see you at dinner then," Ron said. He turned and started towards the castle with Harry right on his heels.

"Boys you're walking sort of fast!" Hannah said from her spot a couple of steps behind Harry. Ron and Harry barely slowed down to accommodate the shorter girls.

"What's the big rush to get back to the castle?" Mandy asked.

"I really don't feel well," Harry said. He attempted to look a little green for everyone's benefit.

"Is it your scar?" Hannah asked.

"That and my stomach hurts. Something in the fish and chips, I think," Harry lied. He was simply sick to his stomach at the though of Mandy's mother being dead and Mandy not knowing. Hannah patted Harry easily on his back. The group wasn't much in the mood for talking, so the rest of the rather quick trip back to the castle passed in relative silence.

"Well, I had a lot of fun today," Ron said, stopping abruptly just before the doors of the castle.

"Me too," Mandy agreed, "We'll have to do it again next time."

"Yes," Harry said, "I'm sorry I messed everything up for everyone." Hannah pulled him into a quick hug. "You didn't mess things up."

"AAWW!!" chorused Mandy, Justin, Ernie and Ron. Hannah and Harry broke apart and glared at their friends. 

"Alright, see you guys at dinner," Ron said. He opened the doors of the castle and hurried through. Harry smiled at his new friends and hurried after Ron.

"Way to act normal, Ron," Harry spat as he followed his friend. 

"Sorry Harry, I'm a little bit," Ron began.

"It's okay," Harry said, "I understand."

"Are you sure of what you saw?" Ron asked.

"Yes," Harry replied.

"What if it hasn't happened yet?" Ron asked.

"I'm not Trelawney," Harry said, "I'm fairly certain my scar only hurts as actual events are going on." 

"So it's more than likely done," Ron said.

"Yes," Harry replied. Ron's face fell visibly. 

"What are we going to do?'

"We're going to tell Dumbledore," Harry said logically, "He'll take care of things from there." The two boys stopped in front of the gargoyle.

"Listen you, I don't feel like guessing the damned password," Harry said to the gargoyle, "We've got important business with Dumbledore so you should just let us in!" 

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley," Professor Flitwick squeaked as he exited the staircase. Ron and Harry jumped on before the Gargoyle could close again.

"Listen you?" Ron asked, "Like it's really going to listen to you."

"Professor Dumbledore?" Harry asked as the two boys stepped into the headmaster's office.

"Yes boys?" Dumbledore asked from behind his desk.

"My scar hurt while we were in Hogsmeade," Harry said.

"Did you see anything or did it just hurt?" Dumbledore asked.

"Mandy Brocklehurst's mother is dead at the hand of a death eater," Harry replied, quite frankly. 

"As we know, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore replied, "I assume you met Professor Flitwick on the way out. He's going to find Mandy now to bring her back here to break the news." Harry looked down at his hands.

"So exactly how did this happen, Mr. Potter?" Dumbledore asked.

"My scar has been tingling all day," Harry began, "Then when we were in the Three Broomsticks, it got worse, then it started to ache. I saw visions of a woman sitting in a chair and she said something about Carter and Drew, which are Mandy's brothers. I sort of felt like it was going to get worse, so I headed out into the street. The pain in my scar got really bad, and then the death eater killed the woman."

"Are you sure it was a death eater?" Dumbledore asked.

"Fairly certain," Harry replied. 

"Has your scar tingled before this?" 

"Yes. It seems to be paired with this one dream about Voldemort's jr. league," Harry explained.

"Jr. League?" Dumbledore asked.

"A boy who could be anywhere between 8 and 12 or Colin Creevey, and his father are with Voldemort. I'm not sure who the boy is," Harry replied, "but my scar is always tingly after that dream." 

"Interesting," Dumbledore said. 

"But nothing bad has happened before when my scar tingled," Harry said.

"Did you have the dream last night?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes," Harry replied.

"Then we shall blame it on mere coincidence," Dumbledore said.

"That I had the dream then this happened?" Harry asked.

"Yes," Dumbledore replied.

"You wanted to see me?" Mandy asked, stepping into the office. Professor Flitwick followed closely behind her. 

"Yes," Dumbledore replied. Harry and Ron rose to leave the office, but Dumbledore waved them back into their seats. He quickly conjured up another chair and motioned for Mandy to sit. She sat next to Ron, and Professor Flitwick stood behind her. He could barely see over the top of her head, but placed a hand on her shoulder anyway. 

"Mandy, I'm afraid I have some bad news," Dumbledore said.

"Yes?" Mandy asked.

"A death eater attack took place at approximately 12:30 today at your house," Dumbledore began.

"Are my mum and Carter okay?" Mandy asked. 

"Carter is fine," Dumbledore replied, "But your mother was killed." Mandy clenched her teeth, swallowed hard twice, and attempted to blink back tears forming in her eyes. Ron reached over and patted the back of her hand where she gripped the arm of the chair. Tears began to pour down her face 

"Please don't make me go with Lennon on holidays," Mandy begged. 

"Don't worry, even though he's only 21, we feel you would be much safer with Carter."

"Does Carter know?" Mandy asked.

"Yes. Drew found your mother just after the attack and alerted all of your other brothers. Aurors in the area alerted me to tell you," Dumbledore explained. Mandy reached up with the hand not covered by Ron's and scrubbed at the tears that had begun to flow more freely. "As soon as funeral arrangements have been made, we will notify you. Carter will probably come and get you at some point this week so you can go with him for the funeral." Mandy's shoulders shook visibly and she gave up on trying to brush away the tears. 

"For now, when you're ready, you may either go back to your house or I will summon Hannah and Ernie so you can see them. Mandy nodded mutely and stood up. Ron jumped up and held out his arms. Mandy fell into them and buried her face into his shoulder. He pulled her into a tight hug and whispered something into her hair. Flitwick stepped towards the door. Dumbledore followed him and motioned for Harry to do the same.

"Harry, go find Hermione, Ernie, Justin and Hannah. You all can go back in when you've found them all. The password is ice mice." Dumbledore said when the three were outside, "I think it's best if we leave them for now."


	20. Chapter 20

Most everything belongs to JKR. Uncle Ethelfride is a creation of Maya. When you're done here, head on over to Schoogle and read some of her work. I'm a fan of the bouncing rat story. The little left is mine!

NAT ROCKS!!

Italics denote a dream sequence and a flashback that turns into a dream sequence.

I know in previous chapters, Barrett was killed when she was six months old, but I've decided that for all intents and purposes, she needs to be three and a half when she dies. I'll go back and change the other chapters later. 

&&&&& = denotes moving back in time and going to a different location.

I think this is all

That being said:

*****

"Where we goin'?" A small blonde girl asked an equally small, equally blonde boy.

_ "I dunno," the boy replied. The two children followed an older boy down a long hallway lined with portraits of older blonde-haired people. The two boys looked like they could be twins except for their four-year age difference. The little girl looked ahead to the older boy._

_ "Draco, where we goin'?" she asked._

_ "Where ARE we going," the older boy corrected._

_ "That's what I asked you," the girl happily replied. The older boy shook his head and made a noise of disgust in the back of his throat. _

_ "Patience Draco, they're young," a woman who looked startlingly like Narcissa Malfoy scolded from a painting. _

_ "Shove it grandmum," Draco spat at the painting. _

_ "Draco Argentum Lucentio Malfoy!" the woman cried._

_ "It's Cullen, grandmum, Draco Cullen Malfoy," little Draco corrected._

_ "Don't talk back to me!" the lady cried. Draco lazily slung his arm over his shoulder and muttered "Quietus." The picture immediately fell silent. _

_ "Wow Draco! Whadja do?" The little boy cried, galloping up to walk next to his older brother._

_ "You're too little to understand, Keiran," Draco replied._

_ "Am I? Am I?" the little girl asked, skipping up to the other side of the older boy._

_ "Hardly Abby, you're no bigger than Keiran," Draco laughed. _

_ "I am too!" Astrid insisted. "Mummy measured us yesterday and I'm four centimeters bigger!"_

_ "Are not!" Keiran cried._

_ "Are too!" Astrid squealed. _

_ "Nuh-uh!" Keiran replied, "only three and a half!"_

_ "Keiran! Abigail! Be quiet or you're headed back to your nurseries!" Draco warned. _

_ "Please no, Barrett has been screaming ALL morning!" Astrid cried. _

_ "Where's Emmy?" Keiran asked._

_ "She's with mummy in Barrett's room," Astrid replied. _

_ "Where we goin?" Keiran asked Draco again._

_ "You'll see when we get there," Draco replied, reaching over and playfully messing up the small boy's hair. _

_ "Why won't you tell us?" Astrid asked._

_ "Because, Abby, it's more fun if it's a secret," Draco explained. He stopped at the end of the hall and turned to a picture on the right wall._

_ "Hello Draco, back so soon?" the person in the portrait asked._

_ "Yes sir," Draco replied._

_ "Would you like to pass through the door concealed by my frame?" the picture asked._

_ "Yes Uncle Ethelfride," Draco said._

_ "And you'll do what for me in return?" the portrait of Uncle Ethelfride asked._

_ "I'll request that you be moved away from the sniveling bitch that is grandmother and closer to the delicious specimen of person that is," Draco began._

_ "Right my boy, right my boy," Ethelfride cut Draco off mid sentence, "Not in front of the little ones." Astrid and Keiran exchanged a wary glance before turning back to their older brother conversing with the portrait of their crazy uncle. _

_ "So are you going to let us through?" Draco asked._

_ "Us?" Uncle Ethelfride replied._

_ "Keiran and Abby are coming with me," Draco explained._

_ "What's in it for me?" Ethelfride asked._

_ "I already agreed to having you moved," Draco said, rather impatiently. _

_ "Fair enough," Ethelfride reasoned. He swung his frame open revealing a small trap door set into the wall. Draco took the latch into his small hand and twisted it. The door popped open and sprung inwards. _

_ "Alright kids, in you go," Draco said, turning to his younger siblings. Keiran quickly ran at the wall and jumped up onto the ledge created by the small door. He jumped over into the space on the other side. Astrid approached the door a bit more cautiously. _

_ "I don't know if I can make it over, Dray," she said, looking over the edge of the door to where her twin stood._

_ "Baby," Keiran spat._

_ "Am not," Astrid replied._

_ "Kei, hush," Draco commanded. He placed a hand on each of Astrid's hips._

_ "Okay Abs, I'm going to count to three and then you're going to jump," Draco instructed._

_ "Okay," Astrid replied. _

_ "One, Two, Three," Draco counted. When he said "three" Astrid jumped and Draco picked her up at the same time. The two of them succeeded in laying Astrid on her stomach on the threshold of the door._

_ "Thank you Draco," Astrid said as she scrambled over to join her brother. Seven-year-old Draco climbed the door much easier than his three year old siblings. _

_ "Now where do we go?" Keiran asked. Draco reached over Keiran and touched the wall just above the littler boy's head. He felt around for a moment before finding the door handle he was looking for. He twisted it and the door swung open revealing a steep spiral staircase._

_ "Oh, are we going down there?" Keiran asked._

_ "Yes," Draco responded. Keiran instantly sat down on the top step and put his feet on the second step down. He slid down to the first step from the top and moved his feet another step down. He slid down onto the next step and proceeded with his foot motion. _

_ "Dray, I don't think I can do that," Astrid said, looking warily at her younger brother's sliding progression down the spiral stairs. _

_ "Oh come on, it'll be easy," Draco said. He took a seat on the outside edge of the top stair and patted the ground next to him, looking up at the very hesitant little girl. Astrid sat down next to her older brother. Keiran was already 10 or 11 steps below his siblings. Draco wrapped a comforting arm around his younger sister._

_ "Okay, let's go," he said, stretching his feet out to reach the step two below they one they sat on. Astrid mimicked his motions and they simultaneously slid onto the step below the one they sat on. Slowly, the pair made their way to meet Keiran at the bottom of the stairs. _

_ "Now where we goin?" Keiran asked when Draco and Astrid finally stood up._

_ "This way," Draco said. He led the way down a very dimly lit hallway that started just behind Keiran. Astrid and Keiran followed Draco quite closely, both a little frightened at the long stone hallway. Draco stopped midway down the hallway and surveyed the wall closely. He found the latch he was looking for well disguised as a normal brick. He undid the latch and pushed the heavy stone door open. Keiran and Astrid followed him through the door. Draco extended his hand towards the lights surrounding the walls and muttered a spell he had heard his father use. The lights turned on, eerily illuminating the dungeon. The two younger children quietly evaluated their surroundings._

_ "Isn't this place neat?" Draco asked, running over to a pair of shackles hanging from a chain on the wall. He grabbed them facing the wall and walked up, kicking himself over in a flip when his feet were above his head. He let go of the chains and landed splendidly on the ground. Astrid walked tentatively over to a large globe situated in one corner of the room. She reached out and spun it quickly. It hissed and emanated a puff of greenish silver smoke as it spun. Keiran still stood, spellbound, in the center of the room looking around. He glanced up and noticed a large pendulum hanging from the ceiling. The bottom of the pendulum looked to be sharpened to a fine edged blade. _

_ "Look," Keiran said, pointing upwards. Astrid gave the globe another lazy spin and then looked over at her twin. Draco joined Keiran under the pendulum and both boys looked at it with simple fascination. _

_ "Whatcha doing?" Keiran asked Astrid, taking note of the globe for the first time. _

_ "Playing with this," Astrid replied, spinning the globe a bit faster. Draco, not interested in the smoking globe, headed over to a case of books quite close to the globe. He pulled a dusty leather book off of the shelf and cracked it open. It was empty. Suddenly, a loud pop sounded behind the children. They all spun around with surprise mixed with a bit of fear. _

_ "What are you children doing down here?" Lucius spat, glaring down at the three cowering children._

_ "Playing," Astrid replied honestly._

_ "How did you find this room?" Lucius asked._

_ "Uncle Ethelfride's portrait," Draco said softly. Lucius pulled out his wand and pointed it at the small boy. _

_ "I have warned you not to speak with the portraits or intrude on places where you are not welcome. This is one of those places," Lucius began. Draco stepped back towards the bookcase. _

_ "So you will be punished," Lucius finished. Draco opened his mouth to speak, but Lucius' curse came before Draco's sentence. "Crucia." Draco flew back into the bookcase and sank to the ground and his body shook in the grip of a weakened, more-legal Cruciatus. Lucius snapped his wand away from his oldest son. Draco remained crumpled at the base of the bookcase. Lucius turned to the twins._

_ "Which of you spun the globe the first time?" he asked, menacingly. Both of the twins looked at him stonily, neither willing to tell on the other. _

_ "Fine then, I shall punish you both," Lucius said. He leveled his wand at his daughter first._

_ "Crucia" he muttered. Before the curse could hit Astrid, Keiran shoved her out of the way._

_ "So this is an admission of guilt is it Keiran?" Lucius asked coldly. Before Keiran could answer, Lucius hit him with the curse. Keiran sank to the floor, writhing in pain, and wailing with agony. The pain of the Crucia Curse to a three year old was comparable to the pain of the Cruciatus Curse to a 30 year old. Astrid looked at her twin and was suddenly hit by a twinge of the same pain. Although nothing compared to what Keiran felt, Astrid's joints felt like they would rip apart and she fell to her knees next to her twin brother to try to alleviate some of her own pain. _

Astrid Malfoy sat straight up in her bed and clamped both hands to her left ankle. She massaged her ankle with the heels of her hands in an attempt to alleviate the sharp pains shooting through the joint. After a moment, the pain subsided, but Astrid didn't credit her impromptu massage for the relief. She slipped open the curtains and peeked between them. Karey and Madeline had abandoned sleeping with their bed-curtains closed during the second week of school. Astrid noticed Madeline curled up hugging her teddy bear and sleeping peacefully. Karey sprawled on her back, mouth wide open, snoring loudly. Astrid chuckled to herself as she crawled out of her bed. She didn't bother checking for Evelyn Creevey, as Hermione had cast a silencing spell around Evelyn's bed during the first week of school. The spell was Evelyn's attempt to keep out Madeline and Karey's chatter. Hailey Johnson could sleep through World War III, so Astrid didn't bother checking on her either. Instead, she pulled open the bottom drawer of the bedside table and withdrew a small book and a picture frame. She quietly stepped into her slippers and crept out of the room. She tiptoed down the stairs and hurried to a chair in front of the fire. A quick flick of her wand caused a fire to spring up in the fireplace and she gripped the picture frame in both hands. She examined the picture carefully before sitting it on the table next to her chair. She pulled a quill from a holder on the side of the book and opened the book. The journal had been a sixth birthday present from Draco. He had Narcissa charm the book to hold an infinite number of pages and the quill to never run out of ink. They also charmed the book so that only Astrid's touch could open it, and only the quill designed for it could write in it. Astrid opened the front cover of the book and read the inscription Draco had written before the charms went in place.

"To my little sister Abby. You'll always be my star. Love Draco." Astrid half suspected Narcissa had told Draco specifically what to write. She didn't mind though, because the book was one of her most prized possessions. It was covered with navy blue cloth and charmed to look like the night sky, complete with silvery shooting stars. She read the inscription again. "To Abby." Those simple words stood testament to how much things at the Malfoy house had changed. Astrid hadn't been called Abby in five summers, and even then Abby was a nickname reserved for Draco. 

She turned the book to an empty page and lowered the quill to the creamy white surface.

Kat 

** It's me again.**

Astrid had named her journal Kat shortly after she had received it for her and Keiran's collective sixth birthday. She started out each entry the same way "Kat, It's me again." As if it could be anyone else. 

I had another dream. This one from the time Draco took me and Keiran to forbidden room in the dungeons when we were three. Why can't things be like they were then? At least my twin loved me enough to protect me. I've blown up on Fred and George a couple more times lately. George more than Fred. I'm not sure why George and not Fred. It's just hard, living with the poster child for twins and all. Why can't me and my brother be more like them? But then I think about it. Why would king pureblood ever want to spend time with me, even if I AM his sister and DID spend 9 months before birth in very close proximity to him? I miss Draco too. I miss being Abby and I miss having two protective older brothers. Ginny complains about her six all of the time, and I want to tell her how lucky she is. So what if they threaten her boyfriend with disembowelment by spork. At least they're there to. My brothers refer to me as the traitor and then try to hurt the one guy that acts their part. I'm personally glad Ron broke Draco's nose. If only I'd been there to see it. Oh well. I'm sure it was great. I don't know if things will get better between me and my brothers either. Especially not Keiran. 

Astrid paused for a moment and stared into the flames of the fire. The heat emanating from the fireplace reminded Astrid of a time from a few years previous. June just before she turned seven at the end of August. Lucius had needed the house for a week, so Narcissa had taken the children to Greece for a holiday at the shore. One afternoon, particularly tired of Keiran and Barrett's fighting, Narcissa sent all five children, in care of almost 11-year-old Draco to the park to play for the afternoon. She had packed them a picnic lunch and sent them on their way, in an attempt to get some peace and quiet. 

Astrid closed her eyes and laughed at the memory of what had transpired that fateful day. 

_"Higher Kei, HIGHER!" six year old Astrid squealed as she fell back towards earth. Keiran backed up and planted both hands in the small of her back. He shoved her forward as hard as he could. She swung back towards the sky, squealing and laughing with delight. _

_ "Is that better?" Keiran asked._

_ "YEAH!" Astrid squealed. She glanced over to where her oldest brother and youngest sister lay stretched out side by side on a blanket, staring at the clouds and noticed a picnic basket next to Draco's left elbow._

_ "Hey Kei!" Astrid called._

_ "Yeah Abby?" Keiran asked._

_ "Stop the swing, I want a snack!" Astrid said. She fell back towards Keiran and he jumped up and caught the chains of the swing just above her head. He pulled his feet from the ground and the extra weight caused the swing to slow considerably. Astrid jumped off of the swing and ran over to where Barrett and Draco were laying. She flung herself onto the ground next to Barrett._

_ "Dray, I want a snack," she announced._

_ "Me too!" Barrett squealed. Astrid laid back on the blanket and looked up at the clouds._

_ "What do you see?" she asked Barrett._

_ "Thehus a Dwagon," Barrett said, pointing a sticky, chubby finger at an elephant shaped blob of clouds in the eastern part of the bright blue summer sky. _

_ "What else?" Astrid asked._

_ "That's a hot dog," Barrett replied, pointing at another shape. "And that's Dwaco."_

_ "So I'm up there now?" Draco asked as he pulled a thermos and cookies from the picnic basket._

_ "Yes," Barrett replied. Astrid rolled over and propped her elbows on the blanket. She rested her chin on her clasped fingers and looked over at her older brother. _

_ "What did mum send us?" she asked, inhaling deeply the sent of the freshly cut grass and the slightly musty flannel blanket. _

_ "Chocolate Chip and Pumpkin Juice," Draco replied._

_ "Chocolate Chip and Pumpkin Juice cookies?" Barrett asked._

_ "No silly," Draco replied, "Chocolate chip cookies and Pumpkin juice."_

_ "You should have just said that," Barrett said, sitting up suddenly. She shook her corkscrew curl covered head at her older brother. Astrid reached over and wrapped one of her sister's typically blonde curls around her index finger._

_ "Hands off the haiuh," Barrett insisted, smacking Astrid's fingers away from her curl._

_ "Where are Keiran and Emma?" Draco asked as he distributed the cookies onto napkins._

_ "Emma's over by the water fountains reading a book," Astrid said._

_ "She pwobabwy doesn't wanna be distuhbed," Barrett said, looking greedily at the cookies. _

_ "You're not getting her share of the cookies," Draco warned, as if reading his youngest sisters mind. Barrett poked out her small bottom lip and opened her brown eyes wider. She turned the look on Draco._

_ "No," Draco said, "And that's final. Where is Keiran?"_

_ "Pwayin' with a puppy," Barrett replied, pointing a chubby finger towards the swing set. Sure enough, Keiran and a small black Labrador puppy were running in circles around the swing set. _

_ "Alright girls, here are your cookies," Draco said, passing each of his sisters a napkin with a cookie on it. "And here is your pumpkin juice." He placed a small paper cup full of dingy orange liquid next to each girl. He then took a cookie and a cup for himself. Astrid picked up her cookie and took a bite. Narcissa had charmed the basket to keep the cookies warm, so the chocolate simply melted in her mouth. Barrett had a sticky streak of the candy dotted with cookie crumbs running down her chin. _

_ "Barrett, you've got something on your face there," Draco said, reaching over to his little sister. She used both hands to cover her chin, dropping her cookie on her tummy in the process. _

_ "If you won't wet me have mowe than one cookie, I gotta save the one you gave me!" Barrett insisted. Draco quickly redirected his motion to his sisters half eaten cookie. He grabbed the cookie and shoved it into his own mouth._

_ "YOU BWODY WANKUH!!!!" Barrett squealed._

_ "What did you just call me?" Draco asked._

_ "Nothing," Barrett replied._

_ "Where did you hear that?" Draco asked. Astrid drew her knees to her stomach in an attempt to stifle the laughter wracking her body from the look on Draco's face when the words "Bloody Wanker" escaped Barrett's not even four-year-old mouth. _

_"You," Barrett replied with an innocent smile at her older brother. Draco picked up another cookie and handed it to his little sister._

_ "Here, take Keiran's cookie and forget you know that phrase," Draco said. Barrett smiled happily at the new cookie and took a large bite. Her corkscrew curls sparkled in the sunlight as she munched happily on her cookie. _

&&&&&

"So what do you think you'll be for Halloween?" Hermione asked Fred as the two of them walked hand in hand back towards Gryffindor tower after a post-dinner stroll around the castle. 

"I can't tell you because I don't know, but I'm quite sure George and I will think of something fantastic," Fred said with a maniacal glint in his eye. Dumbledore had announced earlier that night at dinner that on Halloween, ever student was expected to dress up in a costume for the better part of the day for a costume competition culminating at the Halloween festival. Costumes would be judged on authenticity as well as originality. Halloween was only two weeks away and Hermione had no idea what she would wear. 

"Astrid seems to have a quite good idea for a costume," Hermione said.

"Oh well," Fred replied. He visibly tensed at the mention of Gryffindor's Malfoy. 

"Has she been being rotten to you and George again lately?" Hermione asked. Fred nodded.

"I think rotten is an understatement," Fred replied, "She's completely gone off on George like five times in the past week."

"What did George do?" Hermione asked.

"You know how George is. He was just being George. Nothing really out of the ordinary and she just flipped," Fred said.

"Well, imagine how she feels," Hermione said. "Her twin brother is an absolute little prick, and she's stuck living with you guys. I think you inadvertently rub in her face how twinless she is."

"I'd rather not talk about it," Fred said as they neared the portrait of the fat lady. Hermione paused to give the password, but a tug on her hand from Fred pulled her past the picture.

"What are you doing?" she asked. He leaned over and dropped a kiss on her forehead.

"You'll see," he said with a maniacal glint in his eye. He pulled her a few more steps and they stopped in front of a different portrait. This one of a small girl. 

"Hullo!" the little girl said cheerfully to the two teenagers.

"Hi," Fred said. He reached over to the portrait's frame and undid a latch just between the frame and the wall.

"Where are we going?" Hermione asked.

"You'll see," Fred said, smiling sweetly at his girlfriend. The portrait swung open to reveal an old dusty staircase. 

"Where does this go?" Hermione asked as she mounted the steps behind her boyfriend.

"You'll see," Fred said. He practically pulled her up the staircase. After about 150 stairs, they finally reached a small landing. The only apparent direction out was back down the way they had come up.

"Now where are we going?" Hermione asked. Fred paused and turned to her. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her into a quick kiss. 

"You'll see," he whispered as he pulled away. He took a step back, pulled out his wand and looked at the ceiling directly over his head. He pointed his wand at the center of a stone panel and muttered a quick unlocking spell. The panel quickly morphed into a ladder and dropped down to the ground. 

"You first," Fred said, indicating to the ladder. Hermione cautiously approached the ladder and began to climb. Fred climbed up quickly after her. At the top of the ladder, Hermione crawled out onto the roof. She was surrounded by dusky blue sky. Straight in front of her, the large golden sun threatened to dip behind purple mountains at any second. A colorful myriad of clouds streaked the sky around the sun into a bright rainbow. She inhaled sharply at the direct beauty of the scenery. Fred carefully climbed out onto the roof next to her.

"How did you find this?" Hermione asked.

"We're on the roof of Gryffindor tower," Fred explained, "George and I found this spot at the end of last year. "We charmed the edges so you can't fall off."

"This is awesome," Hermione said, leaning back on the steep incline of the roof. Fred curled up next to her.

"Happy one month anniversary," he whispered. He slipped his arm under her neck and she pillowed her head on his shoulder. She rested her hand on his chest, and the two of them laid there and watched the sun set. 

*****

"Now for the second part of your present," Fred said, sitting up suddenly. The sky had turned navy dotted with silver stars. He slid over to the trap door and leaned through. He muttered a spell and emerged a minute later holding a guitar.

"That's Dean's guitar," Hermione said, rather matter-of-factly.

"Yes," Fred said. He sat down and curled his legs under himself, resting the guitar on his knee. "He's been teaching me how to play it so that I could play you a song tonight." 

"Aww," Hermione said, "I think that's the sweetest thing I've ever heard!"

"You haven't heard me play yet," Fred said with a sheepish grin.

"Fred!" Hermione squealed.

"Hey, I never said that me playing would be any sweeter," Fred said. Hermione smiled sweetly at her boyfriend.

"I'm sure whatever you've chosen will be just perfect."

"Okay," Fred said. He carefully positioned his left fingers over the strings on the neck of the instrument and curled a pick into his right hand. He took a deep breath and looked up at Hermione as he brought the pick crashing down onto the strings. The guitar responded with a raspy, half-formed chord.

"Oh my darlin', oh my darlin', oh my darlin' Clementine!" Fred sang, quite on key with the squawking guitar. He clumsily strummed a beat along with his singing. Hermione fought to keep a straight face at the general absurdity of the song Fred had chosen. 

"You are lost and gone forever, dreadful sorry Clementine!" Fred added the second line. Hermione clasped her hand to her mouth in an effort to keep the laughter in. Fred launched into the first verse of the song. "In a cavern, in a canyon, excavatin' for a mine, dwelt a miner, forty-niner, and his daughter Clementine!" Fred paused for a moment and flashed a devilish grin to his bright red girlfriend before repeating the chorus. After the chorus he stopped and laid the guitar down.

"I don't remember any after that," he announced. Hermione took a few deep breaths before she trusted herself to speak again.

"It was good."

"Hey, don't laugh at my song. It was either that or 'On Top of Old Smokey.' Dean says I have to learn the classics before I can learn anything worth singing to a girl," Fred explained.

"Oh, alright," Hermione said, "That was very sweet and thoughtful of you. Now for my present to you." She snapped her fingers twice.

"That's it?" Fred asked, "You're going to snap at me?"

"Something like that," Hermione laughed. Fred contorted his face into a pout and looked at Hermione.

"Oh come on. That's not nearly as humiliating as having to sing 'Clementine,'" he said. She dropped a kiss on the end of his nose.

"I's sorry miss, if I's interrupting anything," Dobby said as he appeared on the roof next to Hermione and Fred holding a large covered silver platter. 

"Oh Dobby, you're not," Hermione said. Fred looked slightly confused as the diminutive house elf handed Hermione the platter and snapped his fingers. He disappeared as suddenly as he appeared. 

"What's this?" Fred asked, trying to remove the cover from the plate. He couldn't.

"I charmed it closed so no one would get in and steal your surprise," Hermione explained as she quickly undid the charms and removed the cover of the platter.

"I talked the house elves into letting me make a surprise all for you," she said as she pulled back the cover revealing a plate of chocolate dipped strawberries.

"You made these for me?" Fred asked.

"Yes," Hermione replied.

"They're my favorite!" Fred cried.

"I know, George told me," Hermione admitted. She picked up a strawberry and held it out to Fred. He smirked evilly at her before sinking his teeth into the strawberry all of the way up to Hermione's fingers. His soft lips closed around the tips of Hermione's fingers and she shivered at the touch. He raised his eyebrows suggestively to her. Before she had a chance to react, he let his right eye drift over so it was crossed while staring directly at her with his left eye. Hermione couldn't stifle her laugh this time, but still she tried, so the sound that escaped her mouth was something between a snort, a hiccup, and a laugh. Fred laughed silently as he chewed on his strawberry. He picked up another berry and offered it to Hermione. She bit it hastily, not giving herself enough time to be as jokingly suggestive as her boyfriend had. Fred laughed at her haste and leaned backwards to lie on the roof again. He grabbed a strawberry and popped it into his own mouth. Hermione curled up next to him, chewing happily on her own second strawberry. 

*****

Two hours, a platter of strawberries, and quite a bit of snogging later, Fred and Hermione made their way back to the inside of Gryffindor tower, hand in hand. They paused at the fat lady.

"Hermione is the worlds greatest prefect," Fred promptly said. The fat lady swung open and Hermione looked at Fred with a surprised expression on her face.

"Since when is that the password?" she asked.

"Since I asked George to change it while we were on the roof," Fred replied. Hermione smiled sweetly at him as they crawled through the portrait hole. They stopped in front of the fire and she planted a kiss squarely on his lips. He pulled away quickly, noticing something behind Hermione. 

"Astrid," Fred said, pointing to the chair nearest the fire. Hermione turned to look at the little girl. She was curled up in her chair and slumped over a book of some sort, quill clutched tightly in her little hand, sound asleep.

"You should carry her up and put her in her bed," Hermione said. 

"I should," Fred agreed. The two older students headed over to the little girl. Hermione pulled the book off of her lap and the quill out of her hand. At Hermione's touch, the book suddenly snapped closed and the quill disappeared into the book. Fred picked Astrid up. She collapsed limply against his chest and he started towards the girl's staircase with her. Hermione placed the book on the table next to the chair and only then noticed a picture sitting on the table. She picked up the frame and looked at the picture.

Five tan children stood next to each other in a row. Evidently, they were at a beach of some sort because their feet were in sand and the sky was the bright colored blue it only attains when over a massive body of water. Hermione noticed a woman in a blue sundress and a floppy straw hat sitting on a blanket in the background. She was facing away from the camera and looking at something in the distance. All five children were tan with unmistakable white blonde hair. All three girls wore white sundresses while the boys wore khaki shorts and white button down shirts. The middle girl stood on the far left of the picture. She had her thumbs in her ears and waggled her fingers mischievously at the camera. She alternated between smiling and sticking her tongue out at the camera. Her hair was tied back in a white ribbon. The oldest boy looked about 10. He stood in the middle of the picture with the littlest girl in his arms. The girl was probably three or four. He smiled at the camera through loose wisps of chin-length blonde hair. The girl in his arms had curly blonde hair sticking out in all directions all over her head. She alternated between waving at the camera and flinging her arms around her older brother. Occasionally she dropped a sloppy kiss on his cheek. He would grimace a bit and wipe at his face. The children on the right side of the picture were a boy and a girl, about the same height. Both were smiling and laughing at the camera. They had their arms thrown around the others shoulders in a tight, slightly inclusive hug. 

Hermione's eyes lingered specifically on the figure of the oldest boy. The picture marked the first time Hermione had ever seen Draco Malfoy truly smile. 


	21. Chapter 21

JKR owns everything. I own nothing. There are a few pop-culture references, a movie reference, as well as one Buffy reference. I don't own those either. 

Natalie ROCKS!!!!!

Please Review.

That being said:

*****

"Halloween is tomorrow and I don't know what to dress up as," Hannah announced.

"Me either," Mandy replied. Mandy and Hannah, as well as Ron, Harry, Hermione, Ernie and Justin were sitting around in the Great Hall Friday, October 30th, after dinner. Dumbledore had granted them permission to use the Great Hall as something of a common room on weekends so they would have a place to hang out. Because of the mix of houses, common rooms were out of the question.

"Be something scary," Ernie said.

"Yeah," Harry agreed, "Something scary."

"No one would expect it from the two of you," Ron added. He lazily moved a bishop into position on the chessboard. Justin, the reigning chess champion of Hufflepuff House, dropped his head into his hands.

"That's another for Ron," Hermione laughed. She drew a tally on a piece of parchment on the table in front of her.

"Checkmate," Ron said at the same time.

"Ready to give up yet, mate?" Ernie asked, clapping Justin on his back.

"NEVER!" Justin cried.

"Face it, Finch-Fletchley, there are a lot of things Gryffindor is better at than Hufflepuff. Chess happens to be one of those things," Ron joked.

"Name another," Ernie challenged.

"QUIDDITCH!" Harry and Ron chorused.

"They have a very valid point," Mandy laughed.

"Hush, Ravenclaw," Ernie insisted.

"Just because Cho is a stinking pansy when it comes to practice," Mandy began.

"Better than Captain Blood," Ernie said, shaking his head. He leaned back from the table a bit.

"I'll bet Wood is worse than William." Ron said. He finished setting up his chess pieces and looked over at Justin with a smile.

"I don't know about that," Justin replied, moving a pawn forward two squares. 

"Maybe William is learning from Wood, since Wood is his coach too," Mandy suggested.

"Can we please talk about something besides Quidditch?" Hermione asked. 

"What else is there to talk about?" Hannah asked in a dead-on imitation of the boys. Hermione and Mandy laughed appreciatively. 

"Curfew," Snape reminded them, opening the door just enough to stick his head in the opening and tell them.

"Potions God has spoken," Justin said. He began dropping chess pieces in their case. Ron did the same. Hermione and Ernie folded up the homework they had been working on. Hannah tucked her magazine inside her bag. Ron and Justin finished cleaning up their chess game, and Harry marked his spot in Quidditch Through the Ages. The six of them stood up and turned to Mandy.

"I'm almost done," Mandy said before anyone could question her. She finished what she was working on, closed her coloring book and banished the crayons back to their box. She tucked the toys into her bag and jumped up.

"Okay, I'm ready," she announced. Everyone laughed politely and Ernie threw his arm around her shoulders. The seven friends made their way to the doors of the Great Hall. "Hey Hannah, I need to talk to you for a second," Harry said. 

"What's up?" Hannah asked.

"It's about the project," Harry replied.

"Oh. Lets wait till everyone goes their separate directions in the entrance way," Hannah suggested.

"Good plan," Harry laughed. He pulled open the door of the Great Hall and held it open to allow all of his friends to pass through. 

"Well, goodnight you guys," Hermione said. She stood on the steps leading up from the Entrance Hall. 

"'Night, Hermione," Justin, Ernie and Mandy chorused. Mandy shrugged Ernie's arm off of her shoulders and turned to follow Hermione.

"I'll walk you up," Ron said, offering her his arm. She placed her hand at his elbow and flashed Hannah a smile over her shoulder. Ron turned around and gave Harry a devilish grin. Harry rolled his eyes at his friend. 

"Are you coming, Hannah?" Ernie asked, stepping towards the stairs.

"I'm going to stay and talk to Harry for a second," Hannah replied, "You boys go ahead, I know my way to the common room by now." Justin and Ernie laughed appreciatively and started down the stairs. Justin turned back for a moment.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," he laughed. Hannah threw her right hand to her hip and stomped her left foot. She leveled a glare at Justin that made him turn and run after Ernie. 

"So what did you need to talk to me about?" Hannah asked.

"I set us up another interview," Harry said.

"With whom?" Hannah asked.

"I can't really say right now," Harry said, glancing furtively around the Entrance Hall. Hannah stepped over so she was directly in front of Harry.

"Are you sure you can handle another interview?" she asked.

"I have to," Harry replied. He crossed his arms defensively across his chest.

"No, you don't," Hannah said, placing a hand on his forearm. 

"Yes," Harry replied.

"I'm not going to argue with you on this," Hannah said, smiling softly at him.

"I'm sorry," Harry said, looking down on his shoes. Hannah looked up into his green eyes.

"Are you feeling okay about tomorrow?" she asked.

"My costume is GREAT!" Harry said. His face broke into a wide smile.

"That's not the part of tomorrow I was talking about," Hannah said. Harry's face fell.

"I know," Harry said quietly. 

"If you need me, you know where to find me," Hannah said. 

"Thanks Hannah," Harry said. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a tight hug. She slipped her arms around his waist. They stood for a moment in the entrance hall, holding each other. Harry pulled partially away and looked down at Hannah. She returned his glance and smiled sweetly at him. He leaned in and dropped a quick kiss on her cheek. He instantly felt a blush overtake his face and noticed a similar blush on Hannah's face.

"Um, goodnight," Harry stuttered quickly.

"Yeah, goodnight," Hannah said. She turned on her heal and headed towards the steps down towards the kitchen. Harry spun almost as quickly and ran up the stairs towards Gryffindor tower. 

%%%%%

"Well, I turn here," Mandy said as she and Ron approached the library.

"Alright," Ron replied, stopping next to her. She turned to face him.

"Goodnight," she said with a smile. Ron leaned over and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. She quickly returned the hug. 

"Goodnight," he replied. He let go of her and she started off down a different hall. Ron turned to continue his walk to Gryffindor tower and almost collided with a very red, very flustered Harry. 

"Harry man, what's wrong?" Ron asked. 

"Nothing," Harry lied.

"Your face is red enough to denote the last name Weasley," Ron replied, "Something is wrong." 

"Nothing," Harry said quickly. The two boys walked towards Gryffindor tower at a much slower pace than Harry had previously been walking. 

"What did Hannah say?" Ron asked.

"Nothing," Harry replied, this time truthfully.

"What did you do?" Ron continued his questioning. Harry turned redder.

"Nothing," He said, again quickly. 

"Something about that bright red face of yours makes me think you're really not telling the truth," Ron pried, "So what did you do."

"I kissed her," Harry mumbled, looking at the floor.

"Man, that's GREAT!" Ron cried.

"Not really," Harry replied.

"That bad?" Ron asked.

"I just kissed her on her cheek," Harry explained.

"What's so bad about that then?" Ron asked. Harry clapped his hands to his forehead.

"I then instantly turned red and couldn't string two words together and neither could she!" Harry cried.

"You two are worse than Parvati and Lavender!" a familiar voice called from up ahead of the two boys.

"Shove it, Hermione," Ron laughed. Harry just turned redder. Hermione threw her hands on her hips and stuck her tongue out at Ron. 

"You guys are just jealous because I'm in a relationship and neither of you can get the girl you want!" she chided. 

"Not funny, Hermione," Harry said. 

"It is from where I'm standing!" Hermione laughed. 

"Hermione! We're both completely inept in dealing with any female besides you and all you can do is laugh at us! That's not helpful!" Harry cried. 

"At least you recognize members of my gender now," Hermione said with a sly smile.

"Can we kill that joke?" Ron requested.

"Nah," Hermione replied, "I'm still quite amused by it." Ron glared at her. The two boys quickly walked to the end of the hall to meet their friend.

"I'm not," Ron spat as they walked.

"So Harry, what happened between you and Hannah?" Hermione asked, pointedly ignoring Ron.

"I kissed her and then we both turned red and lost command of the English language," Harry quickly explained.

"You kissed her?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, just on her cheek," Harry said. "And she turned red and looked very anxious to get out of the Entrance Hall."

"That's bad," Ron said, clapping Harry on his back.

"Not necessarily," Hermione corrected. 

"How could it not be bad? She turned red and got anxious to leave," Ron challenged.

"You're forgetting yet again that I AM a girl," Hermione said. "Maybe she was really excited about it and embarrassed because she was excited."

"Reasonable," Ron agreed.

"But not probable," Harry said, looking down at his feet.

"Why not?" Hermione asked.

"Lets look at my luck with girls," Harry said. He held up his right hand and extended his index finger. "Cho."

"Nice looking, fairly intelligent, but a bad problem in falling for Hufflepuff Quidditch captains," Ron supplied.

"Thank you Captain Obvious," Harry spat. His eyes narrowed and he glared at his friend.

"Who else?' Hermione asked.

"That's about it," Ron laughed. He didn't realize his teasing was beginning to annoy Harry.

"Lets look at your history with girls then," Harry said, glaring at his friend. 

"Let's not," Ron insisted.

"Hermione!" Harry cried, holding up one finger, "only you didn't realize she was a girl until it was too late!"

"Too late for what?" Ron asked.

"Well she's not with Ron Weasley now is she?" Harry asked, quietly menacingly. 

"YOU BLOODY WANKER!" Ron roared. 

"At least," began Harry. A furious Hermione cut him off mid-sentence. 

"BOYS!" Hermione cried, "10 points from Gryffindor!"

"WHAT!" Harry and Ron both shouted.

"It will be more if you don't calm down and lower your voices," Hermione said in a low, scarily calm pitch. 

"Why?" Harry asked.

"Because you're acting like a couple of first years! You're both prefects!" Hermione scolded. Harry and Ron both instantly looked at their feet.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," Ron said.

"Don't apologize to me," Hermione said, "Apologize to him." Ron looked over to his left without turning his head.

"I'm sorry Harry," he mumbled.

"What was that?" Hermione asked.

"I'm sorry Harry," Ron said, a bit more clearly.

"And what do YOU say?" Hermione asked Harry. Harry glanced over at Ron.

"Sorry Ron," Harry said. 

"Now go up to your room and think about what you've done," Hermione said in a tone that simply cried "Molly Weasley." 

"Yes mum," Harry and Ron chorused, smiles breaking across their angry faces. Hermione smiled too. She stepped in between the two boys and threw an arm around each of their waists. 

"I'm proud of you, Ron," Hermione said as they walked the remaining steps to Gryffindor tower. 

"Why?" Ron asked.

"Harry made you mad and you didn't try any form of bodily harm," Hermione replied simply. Ron turned bright red.

"Now say the password," Hermione instructed.

"Hermione is the world's greatest prefect," the boys chorused, and the fat lady swung herself open to reveal the door. Ron stepped through the portrait hole followed closely by Hermione and then Harry. They were greeted by shouts inside the common room.

"Colin, I'm telling you! You CAN'T dress up as Harry Potter for Halloween!" Astrid cried. She was standing in front of a chair next to the fireplace. Her hands were clenched into fists and her face was bright red. Dennis Creevey stood next to her, arms crossed across his chest glaring at his older brother. Colin stood across from the two friends looking equally as angry and redder.

"Why not?" Colin asked. Dennis cast a furtive glance in Astrid's direction.

"Because that's so incredibly cliché," Astrid half-lied.

"I don't care," Colin insisted.

"Colin, why don't we dress up as ghosts together?" Dennis suggested.

"How unoriginal is that?" Colin asked. Harry looked away from the big fight raging between three of the smallest Gryffindors and over at his two best friends.

"People really dress up as me for Halloween?" he asked.

"Sure," Ron replied, "I think Percy did once when he was about 10. Only he was a you with red hair, blue eyes, freckles, and a painted on scar." 

"I didn't think real witches and wizards dressed up for Halloween," Hermione said.

"Need I remind you that my father is Arthur Weasley, lover of anything muggle?" Ron asked.

"Oh, right," Hermione laughed.

"So if dressing up is a muggle tradition, why has Dumbledore instituted this costume contest?" Harry asked.

"Think about it Harry," Ron said, "It's the same reason we did the scavenger hunt at the beginning of the year. It's a very fun way to introduce muggle culture to some of the more close minded members of the school."

"Ron, I'm impressed," Hermione gushed, "Did you think of that on your own?" 

"Yes," Ron replied proudly.

"A galleon says he overheard Dumbledore talking about it with one of the other professors," Harry laughed. Ron turned bright red and glared at Harry.

"What do you say we go act like prefects?" Hermione asked, pointing to the still raging fight.

"Tell me what is wrong with my idea!" Colin cried.

"It's been done way too many times!" Astrid and Dennis exclaimed at exactly the same time, tones of attempted finality ringing through their voices. 

"I'll tell you what's wrong with your idea," Harry's voice rang out across the common room.

"Yes?" Colin asked.

"You're considering dressing up like me. That idea is only slightly weird," Harry said, "so if you really want to stay friends with me, I'd suggest you not dress up like me for Halloween."

"Only slightly?" Ron whispered to Hermione. Hermione rolled her eyes and shrugged her shoulders. 

"Alright," Colin consented happily. 

"So what do you say we just dress up like ghosts?" Dennis suggested again. Colin's face brightened visibly.

"I've got to go work on my costume then!" he exclaimed. He turned and ran up the stairs towards his dorm.

"What's so complicated about a ghost costume?" Dennis asked when the door closed behind his brother. "I plan on cutting two holes in a sheet and throwing it over my head."

"Can it be a pretty flowered sheet?" Astrid asked. 

"All I have are plain white sheets," Dennis said.

"We can add flowers," Astrid said.

"Not girly flowers," Dennis said.

"Not girly flowers," Astrid agreed.

"Then lets go," Dennis said. He headed towards his dorm to get the sheet and Astrid moved towards a table in the back of the common room to wait for him. 

"Now that THAT'S settled," Harry laughed. He sank onto the couch. Hermione sat next to him and Ron stretched out on the rug in front of the fire. 

"I think we owe Astrid and Dennis," Hermione said, "For saving our idea." 

"Yes, because only Colin would think of dressing up as me for Halloween," Harry replied.

"I'm telling you, Percy did it," Ron laughed. 

"I'd like to see pictures of that," Harry said.

"I'll see if I can find them the next time you're at the Burrow," Ron said.

"Christmas then," Harry replied, "For Bill and Ms. Figg's wedding." Ron rolled over on his stomach propped his chin on his hands. Hermione leaned back on the couch and Harry propped his feet up on the table in front of them.

"Where's Fred?" Ron asked.

"He and George have been holed away in their room all day working on their costumes," Hermione said. 

"What are they dressing up as?" Harry asked.

"They're not telling anyone, and are planning on getting to breakfast late in the morning to make an entrance," Hermione laughed.

"What do you think they've come up with?" Harry asked.

"If I know the twins, their costumes will be complementary. One year when they were younger, they went as salt and pepper. Another year they went as peas and carrots," Ron laughed. 

"They couldn't be any more inventive than that?" Hermione asked. 

"One year they stole Mum's wand and bound themselves together to be conjoined twins with such a spell that it took dad almost a week to get them unstuck," Ron replied, "How is that for inventive?"

"I can definitely see the twins doing that," Hermione laughed. 

"So what do you think they'll do this year?" Harry asked.

"Good question, you never do know with the twins," Ron replied. 

"So do you guys have your costumes planned out?" Hermione asked. 

"Yes," Harry replied. Ron just nodded.

"Do you think you'll need any help with anything?" Hermione questioned.

"No, I think we've got all the spells we need worked out just perfectly," Harry said.

"Have you practiced them?" Hermione asked.

"Yes mum," Ron said from his spot on the rug. 

"What is Astrid dressing up as?" Harry asked. Hermione shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. Ron took a more direct approach.

"Hey Astrid!" he called across the common room.

"WHAT!" she cried from the corner where she and Dennis were diligently working on his sheet.

"What are you dressing up as for Halloween?" Ron asked.

"Not telling!" Astrid called back, "But I can guarantee it will be hilarious!"

"Okay!" Ron said.

"I guess that settles that," Harry laughed. 

"Well boys, I think I'm heading up to go to bed," Hermione said. She stood up from her seat on the couch and stretched. 

"Good idea," Harry agreed. He stood up too and started towards the guy's dorm. Ron got up from the floor and began following him.

"Goodnight you two," Hermione called over her shoulder.

"Night Hermione," Harry said.

"Night Hermione," Ron echoed. 

*****

"Hermione, wake up and get your costume on!" Lavender called from in front of the mirror on the other side of the room from Hermione's bed. Hermione rolled over and looked across her room. Lavender stood in front of the mirror adding the finishing touches to her costume. 

"What are you supposed to be?" Hermione asked. Lavender spun around so Hermione could see her costume. 

"A princess," Lavender replied. She wore a long light purple dress made out of a shimmering satin material. The skirt was full, with the bottom layer made of satin and the top layer, sheer chiffon. The top had a fitted bodice with a pattern of lace and ribbons up the front. The neckline was squared with a fine edge of lace and the sleeves were made of the same satin and chiffon layering as the skirt. They went to just above Lavender's elbows and were edged with the same lace as the neckline. The sleeves were slightly puffy. 

"Your dress is really pretty," Hermione said.

"Thanks, my mum picked it out for me when I told her I needed a princess costume," Lavender said. She turned back to the mirror and surveyed her elaborately twisted hair. 

"More glitter," Parvati advised. Lavender pointed her wand at her hair and muttered a spell. Her hair quickly became covered in a thin shimmering layer of glitter. She picked up a silver tiara from her vanity and adjusted it in her hair.

"Beautiful," the mirror gushed. 

"Yes," Parvati agreed. Parvati was dressed in a flowing white dress. The dress had no definite waist but was held to accentuate Parvati's slender frame by a simple white tie. The dress had a bit of a train. The sleeves were long and came to a point at the base of her middle fingers. 

"What are you supposed to be?" Hermione asked Parvati. Parvati pulled out her wand and pointed it at her head. She muttered a spell and her long dark brown hair twisted itself up into a bun at the back of her head. She pointed her wand at her back and muttered another spell. Two large wings sprang from the back of her dress. They reached from her knees to above her head. They were covered in soft white feathers that occasionally flashed a myriad of colors when they caught the light at the exact right angle. She muttered another spell at her head and a thin wreath of tinsel appeared hovering in the air a few inches above her hair.

"Oh, you're an angel," Hermione said.

"Yes," Parvati said.   
"Want some help on your halo?" Hermione asked.

"Yes," Parvati replied. She muttered a spell to make her attempt at a halo disappear. Hermione threw back her covers and climbed out of bed. She picked up her wand from her bedside table and started over to Parvati. 

"This won't hurt will it?" Parvati asked.

"No," Hermione assured her. She pointed her wand at the girl and muttered a spell. Suddenly Parvati was surrounded by an aura of light for which she seemed to be the source. 

"Wow!" Lavender said.

"Impressive," Parvati agreed.

"Thanks," Hermione said with a smile.

"So what are you dressing up as?" Lavender asked. Hermione looked down at her pajamas. She quickly grabbed jeans and a sweatshirt out of her closed and changed into them. Then she grabbed her best school robe and pulled it on.

"You're going as yourself?" Parvati asked.

"Not quite," Hermione laughed. She stepped in front of the mirror and surveyed her image. She pointed a wand at her head and muttered a spell that turned her brown hair black. She muttered another spell and her brown eyes went to green.

"Wow," Parvati said. Hermione quickly pulled her hair up into a very messy bun. 

"Exactly who are you supposed to be?" Lavender asked. Hermione smiled at her roommate. 

"You'll see," she said, "Do you have some pale pink lipstick I can use?"

"Sure," Parvati said. She fished the tube from her large cosmetics bag.

"I think I need something to apply this with," Hermione said, looking at the tube. Lavender reached into her equally large cosmetics bag and handed Hermione a clean eye shadow applicator. Her costuming process was interrupted by a knock at the door. 

"Come in," Lavender called. The door opened and Harry's head appeared in the crack.

"I need makeup," he announced.

"Didn't you practice those spells?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, but they don't work," he insisted. "I'm going to have to do it the muggle way."

"What do you need?" Lavender asked.

"Um," Harry said, turning red and looking at Hermione. 

"Concealer," Hermione said instantly. Lavender and Parvati both turned to their makeup bags. Lavender reappeared a minute later with a small compact and a tube. She tossed them both to Harry.

"Uh, Hermione, come help me," Harry insisted. Hermione ran out into the hall. Harry surveyed her outfit.

"You need Quidditch robes," he announced.

"Shove it," Hermione said, "you're wearing school robes." 

"Wait till you see what's under them," Harry replied. 

"Squat down," Hermione instructed, taking the makeup from Harry. Harry did as he was told and Hermione went to work making his scar disappear. 

"How is Ron?" she asked.

"Wait till you see him," Harry replied with a laugh. Hermione finished his scar and took his glasses off of his face.

"Hey!" Harry said, reaching up to touch his eyes.

"Calm down," Hermione said, "and close your eyes." Harry complied with her directions. She touched her wand to his left eye and muttered a spell. Then she touched it to his right eye and said the same spell. He opened his brilliant green eyes and blinked twice.

"I can see," he announced.

"Yes," Hermione said. She folded his glasses and stuck them in the pocket of her robes. 

"Thanks Hermione!" he said.

"It should wear off in 24 hours," she replied.

"Okay," he replied. He turned and started back towards his dorm. Hermione went back into her room. She handed Lavender her makeup.

"What was that about?" Parvati asked.

"You'll see," Hermione laughed.

"Did he need to cover up his scar?" Lavender guessed. Hermione nodded and picked up the lipstick and applicator. She quickly swiped the applicator across the lipstick and looked in the mirror. She carefully applied a soft pink lightning bolt shape to her forehead.

"You're going as HARRY?" Lavender squealed.

"Yep," Hermione replied. 

"Too funny!" Parvati said. Hermione pulled the glasses from her pocket and muttered a spell to make them simple glass lenses in the trademark black frames. She placed them on her face and turned to her roommates.

"Do I exude that superhero aura?" she asked.

"No," Parvati said.

"What did she say?" Lavender quietly asked her best friend.

"She wanted to know if she seemed like a superhero," Parvati whispered. Hermione stifled her laughter.

"No," Lavender agreed.

"But at the same time, neither does Harry," Parvati said. 

"Perfect," Hermione laughed. 

%%%%%

"I can't believe I consented to this lunacy," Ginny muttered to her reflection. 

"Oh come on Gin, it's not that bad," Jae said from her bed. She had already dressed in her costume.

"What are you supposed to be again?" Ginny asked, surveying her friend's red velvet pants and jacket trimmed in white fur. Jae muttered a spell to enlarge the front of her jacket. She pulled a red velvet hat trimmed in the same white fur onto her head.

"I'm Santa," she said, "It's a muggle Christmas thing."

"Well then why are you doing it for Halloween?" Ginny asked.

"To mess with people's minds," Jae replied simply as she attached a fluffy white beard to her chin. 

"Weird," Ginny said. She turned back to the mirror. She closed her eyes and pointed her wand at her head. She muttered a spell and when she opened her eyes, her long red curls had been replaced with short lighter red hair. She gave herself a few more freckles courtesy of her wand and turned to Jae.

"How do I look?"

"Like your brother!!"

%%%%%

"This is absolutely no fair!" Ron cried, surveying the clothes lying on his bed.

"Oh don't whine," Harry said. He had just returned from having his scar concealed and his vision corrected. "What color do my eyes need to be?"

"Blue," Ron said. Harry pointed his wand at his eyes and muttered a spell to turn them blue.

"Do I really have to wear this?" Ron asked, looking at the skirt and blouse lying on the bed.

"Yes," Harry replied, "It's not too horrible once you get used to it!" Ron rolled his eyes at his friend. He picked up the skirt and carefully began to put it on. Harry went over to the mirror and surveyed his face, void of glasses and scar. 

"You know, if you could do something about that hair, you could almost be decent looking," Seamus laughed from his bed.

"Shove it Seamus," Harry spat. He pointed his wand at his hair and said a quick spell.

"OOOHH!!! When I said do something about that hair, I didn't mean THAT!" Seamus cried before Harry could even take in the full effect of his spell. 

"What exactly are you supposed to be?" Neville asked Dean. Dean looked down at his bell-bottom jeans, faded t-shirt and leather vest. 

"Bob Marley, only the greatest Reggae musician to ever live, mon," Dean replied in a phony Jamaican accent. He adjusted the red, yellow and green hat over his dreadlocks. The dreads had been an addition for Dean between third and fourth years and now reached to his shoulders. 

"Right," Neville said, looking down at his own costume. He was wearing a simple brown cloak. He wasn't sure anyone would understand that he was Gregor Mendel, the very first geneticist. He had learned about Mendel in some extra reading for Professor Sprout. 

"Now what do I do about my hair?" Ron asked Harry. He turned around to face all of his roommates. 

"Sexy, sexy Ron!" Seamus called from his bed. He let out a loud wolf whistle. Ron turned bright red and smoothed the short plaid skirt he was wearing.

"I wouldn't ask Harry for hair help," Dean said, "Just look at his." 

"But Dean, you're talking to a guy wearing a short skirt," Seamus said. Ron quickly pulled on his best school robe. Harry pointed his wand at Ron's head and fired off a spell. Ron's short red locks quickly morphed into the long frizzy, caramel colored hair of one Hermione Granger. Harry fired off another spell and Ron's blue eyes turned brown. 

"Now get a BIG bag!" Seamus cried from his bed. Ron picked up his school bag, stuffed with books and slung it over his head.

"Who let Ginny and Hermione into our room?" Neville asked with a laugh.

%%%%%

"Where are the boys?" Hermione asked Ginny as the two sat in the common room.

"Shouldn't that be girls?" Ginny replied with a laugh.

"Oh right, they're girls. They'll take forever getting ready," Hermione laughed. 

"Potty, Weasel," a slightly familiar voice sneered from just behind them. The voice would have been completely familiar had it been male. Ginny and Hermione spun to look at the source of the voice. 

"What do you think?" Astrid ask, turning in a circle so the older girls turned boys could survey her immaculate black school robe, perfectly gelled back blonde hair and well practiced sneer. 

"Too funny!" Ginny cried. 

"It's great," Hermione agreed.

"Now I've just got to spend today with you guys and every time anyone says anything I'll say I've defected to the Gryffindor side," Astrid said with a smile.

"Draco is going to throw a wobbly," Ginny said with a smile.

"Yes," Astrid agreed, "Why do you think I went with this?" 

"It's fabulous," Hermione laughed, "You did a great job with your eyes, they're almost identical to Draco's." 

"I didn't do anything to my eyes," Astrid said, "Draco and I have the same eye color naturally." 

"Really?" Hermione asked.

"Yes," Astrid said, "You've never noticed before?"

"No," Hermione admitted. "Its just that his eyes are sort of cold and yours generally sparkle." Astrid gave Hermione a soft smile. 

"What color eyes does Little Malfoy have?" Ginny asked.

"Keiran and Emma both have blue eyes," Astrid replied. "And Hermione, why were you looking into Draco's eyes anyway?" 

"When fighting with someone, breaking eye contact can be a sign of weakness," Hermione quickly explained. 

"Oh my goodness!" Ginny exclaimed. Astrid and Hermione turned to see what she was talking about. Tripping down the boy's staircase were Harry with long curly red hair and freckles, and Ron with bushy brown hair and a bag full of books."

"Well if it isn't the mud-muggleborn and the weaslette," Astrid sneered.

"If it isn't a Draco I could literally step on," Ron spat back.

"I've got an idea!" Astrid cried.

"What's that?" Ron asked.

"Will you hold hands with me when we walk into breakfast?" Astrid asked. Harry, Hermione and Ginny all erupted in laugher while a broad smile broke across Ron's face.

"Sure Astrid," he said. Astrid beamed.

"I've never seen Draco look that happy," Ginny said. 

"Neither have I," Harry agreed. Ron nodded his agreement. Hermione stayed oddly silent. 

"Shall we go to breakfast?" Astrid asked, slipping her hand into Ron's. She pulled him towards the door.

"Who would have ever thought we'd see the day Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger held hands," Harry laughed. 

"They're still Ron and Astrid underneath the costumes," Hermione spat, "the day I voluntarily hold hands with Draco Malfoy will be the day Snape confesses that he's secretly in love with professor Dumbledore." 

"Shall we?" Harry asked, offering his arm to Hermione.

"Shouldn't I ask you that?" Hermione replied with a laugh. She held her arm out in a typically male fashion. Harry placed his hand at her elbow. 

"Sorry Ron," Hermione called over her shoulder, "your girl just left with Malfoy." Ginny stomped her foot and willed her face to turn red in a quite good impression of Ron.

"Better than your own brother," Harry laughed. 

"Shall we?" a male voice asked from just behind Ginny. Ginny spun to find Dean Thomas a.k.a. Bob Marley offering his arm.

"You're willing to walk with me while I look like Ron?" Ginny asked.

"Why not?" Dean asked with a smile.

"You're not secretly harboring a crush on my brother are you?" Ginny asked with a laugh.

"Nah," Dean said. Ginny placed her hand on his arm and the two followed Harry and Hermione dressed as Ginny and Harry. 

*****

"Ready?" Astrid asked, looking up at Ron.

"Ready, Drakie-baby," Ron cooed.

"Snap out of it Ron! You're Hermione, not Pansy!" Astrid cried.

"Oh, right," Ron said, smiling slyly at the little girl. Astrid reached for the door. She pulled it open and held it so Ron could walk inside. Astrid had opened the door slowly so the hinges creaked. Most of the people in the Great Hall turned to stare as Ron dressed as Hermione stepped inside. When Astrid stepped in just after him and took his hand in hers, almost every jaw in the Great Hall dropped. Heads turned to follow the unlikely pair's trip to the Gryffindor table. Ron dropped his loaded bag and sat down at Hermione's usual spot at Gryffindor table. Astrid climbed into her regular seat. She turned to everyone else in the hall and flashed a characteristic Draco sneer. Instantly the crowd in the hall, save the Slytherin table, burst into laughter. Ginny, Hermione and Harry as well as Dean managed to sneak in relatively unnoticed in the midst of all the laughter. Dean went down to sit with Seamus who had dressed as Aidan Lynch and Parvati and Lavender. Ginny, Hermione and Harry all sat in the spots the person they were dressed as usually sat.

"Wow this is going to confuse Fred," Hermione laughed.

"If he tries to kiss me I swear I will cut off his," Ron began.

"RON!" cried Astrid, "I mean HERMIONE!" 

"No, that was definitely all Ron," Hermione laughed. 

"Has anyone figured out what the twins are dressing up as yet anyway?" Ginny asked.

"Well, I've dressed up as Draco and I haven't seen Keiran yet this morning so I'm not sure what he's dressed up as," Astrid said with a slight laugh. 

"Other twins, smart one," Ron said. 

"Oh, them," Astrid replied, "Well, Parvati is an angel and I'm not quite sure what Padma is. I haven't seen her yet this morning either." 

"The Weasley twins," Ginny corrected.

"Nope. They won't tell anyone," Hermione laughed.

"Fred didn't even tell you?" Astrid asked.

"Nope," Hermione replied, "he said it was top secret, but that we would find it 'absolutely hilarious'." 

"Well then it should be something good," Ron laughed.

"I wonder if Dennis has gained enough courage to come out of his room yet," Astrid said.

"What did you do to his costume?" Harry asked.

"Well, I sort of jokingly put big pink flowers all over it and accidentally made them very permanent," Astrid explained.

"He very well may not leave his room today," Ginny said.

"Colin will make him," Astrid laughed. The door of the great hall squeaked open again and all of the friends turned in time to see the Creevey brothers step through the doorway. Colin had charmed his robe to shimmer and look seemingly transparent. His face and hair were the same silvery color. 

"Oh wow, Colin went all out on his costume," Ginny said. 

"And he did a fairly good job with those charms," Hermione added. Dennis stepped through the doorway just after Colin. Or, at least a sheet with two eyes did. The sheet was covered with large hot pink flowers in a rather Hawaiian style pattern. 

"Good job Astrid," Harry laughed. Astrid smiled sweetly at the older boy. The Creevey brothers made their way over to Gryffindor table and took their usual seats. Luckily for Dennis, not many people recognized him, or else they were just so enthralled over Colin's costume that they didn't pay any attention to the Hawaiian ghost.

"Nice sheet, Dennis," Harry laughed as the younger boy sat down.

"Shove it, Potter," Dennis spat.

"I did a rather nice job didn't I?" Astrid asked with a smile. The older friends nodded. Dennis managed to glare at Astrid through the sheet. Astrid threw on a Draco sneer and turned to Dennis. He rolled his eyes and looked away from her. 

"So have either of your brothers seen your costume yet?" Harry asked. 

"I'm a little height impaired here Ginny, can you stand up and see if either of them are at the Slytherin table?" Astrid asked. Harry obediently stood up and surveyed the Slytherin table.

"Draco's at the very end and he looks furious!" Harry said.

"What's he dressed up as?" Astrid asked.

"He's wearing a tux and a cape," Harry replied.

"What's the bet he's got fangs?" Astrid asked.

"You think he's a vampire?" Ron questioned.

"He's not very original and he's always had a bit of an obsession with vampires," Astrid explained. 

"Do you think he saw the two of you walk in?" Ginny asked.

"He looks ready to murder someone," Harry said.

"Then that's a yes," Astrid laughed. 

"I'm glad you're so amused by my impending fight with your brother," Ron spat. 

"Whoa, Hermione, calm down," Hermione cried. Ron turned his glare from miniature Draco to the female Harry. 

"That was completely uncalled for," Ron said.

"Hey look, mail!" Harry said, pointing to the ceiling where hundreds of owls were rushing towards the tables. The impending argument between Ron and Hermione ceased as Sebastian and Hedwig spiraled towards the group of them. Sebastian landed on Ron's shoulder while Hedwig fluttered around for a second before locating Harry disguised as Ginny Weasley. Ron and Harry quickly pulled their letters from the owl's legs and the owls flew off to the owlery. Harry opened his letter while Ron looked at the address on the envelope of his. 

"Uh Hermione, I think I did a really good job on my costume," he said.

"Why?" Hermione asked. Ron handed the letter to his friend. She read the address.

_Miss Hermione Granger_

_Gryffindor House_

_Hogwarts School_

"Eventually my parents will learn that Hermione Granger will suffice to get the letter to me," Hermione laughed as she pulled open her letter. She quickly scanned her letter while her friends turned back to their breakfasts. 

"Oh my goodness!" Hermione exclaimed a minute later, pulling her friends away from their toast and eggs. 

"What is it?" Harry asked, surveying his friend's wide eyes and dropped jaw. 

"I can't believe this," Hermione whispered, more to the letter than to her friends. 

"What?" Ron asked.

"Bloody hell," Hermione mumbled. 

"Don't swear," Ron scolded. Hermione didn't hear him, or if she did, she didn't acknowledge him.

"Is something wrong?" Ginny ventured to guess.

"My parents have gone off their rockers," Hermione announced. 

"What have they done?" Harry asked.

"Evidently I'm going to get a little brother or sister sometime in April," Hermione said.

"No way!" Harry exclaimed. 

"That's great!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Bloody hell," Ron said. 

"Don't swear," Astrid chirped. Ron glared down at her and she smiled sweetly up at him. 

"I can't believe it," Hermione said, shaking her head.

"Do they know if it's a boy or a girl?" Ginny asked.

"Nope, but the names they have picked out are slightly horrible either way," Hermione said.

"What have they picked?" Ron asked. 

"Jaquenetta Madeline for a girl and Weston Edward Jr. for a boy," Hermione replied.

"Jaquenetta?" Harry and Ginny asked at the same time.

"Shakespeare," Hermione explained, "and Madeline is Poe."

"Poe?" Ron asked.

"An American writer. My middle name is from his poem "The Raven," Hermione said.

"And Madeline?" Harry asked.

"From one of his short stories. Hermione and Jaquenetta are both from Shakespeare's plays," Hermione explained. 

"Why can't your parents pick normal names?" Ron asked.

"That's what I'm wondering," Hermione laughed.

"What would you consider a normal name?" Ginny asked.

"Samantha," Ron replied without a moment's consideration. 

"Samantha Granger?" Hermione asked.

"Samantha Madeline Granger," Harry replied. 

"I still can't believe I'm getting a sibling," Hermione said, shaking her head and staring down into her plate. Harry threw a sympathetic arm around her shoulders. She leaned her head over on his shoulder. Both of them missed the envious if not vicious looks Hannah was shooting at them from the Hufflepuff table. Before anyone could say anything else, the door of the Great Hall creaked open once more. Harry, Hermione, Ginny and Astrid all turned to see who was coming in for breakfast. One of the Weasley twins stepped through the door. He had grown his hair out and pulled it into a familiar, tight, salt and pepper bun. He wore long blue robes and a blue hat trimmed in gold perched on his hair. He looked sternly at the students in the great hall through small square glasses before turning back to the door. He reached through the still open door and when he pulled his hand back into the Great Hall, he was holding another hand attached to a long black sleeve. The hand pulled the twin back towards the entrance hall, but with a mighty yank, the miniature McGonagall pulled the other twin into the Great Hall. The other twin had turned his hair black and grown it out to reach his collar. It was gelled back with a few wisps framing his face. He had elongated his nose and dressed in a plain black robe. He scowled at the students in the Great Hall before stalking off to Gryffindor table. The laughter began at the Gryffindor table and soon spread across the entire hall. At the head table, Dumbledore, dressed as Zeus, had his head between his knees under the table to try to control his laughter. McGonagall even managed a small chuckle at her student likeness. Snape, however, glared at the Weasley twins.

Little Snape threw himself down in George's typical seat at the Gryffindor table while McGonagall sank into Fred's usual seat. McGonagall casually tossed his arm around the likeness of Hermione sitting next to him.

"Fred you bloody wanker!" Ron cried, "If you don't get your hand off of me right now!" Fred turned to his younger brother with a surprised look on his face. 

"You mean you're not Hermione?" he asked innocently. 

"Not funny, Fredrick," Ron said. He carefully took his brothers hand between two of his fingers and tossed it off of his shoulder. Hermione smiled at her boyfriend from across the table behind Harry's glasses. 

"Guess what!" Ginny cried.

"What?' Fred asked.

"Hermione's getting a sibling!" Ginny announced. Fred turned to Hermione, mouth hanging open.

"Yes really," Hermione answered his question before he could ask it.

"Hermione, that's fantastic!" Fred cried. He stood up and leaned across the table, capturing Hermione's lips in a breath-taking kiss.

"EEEEWWWWWWWW!" Sawyer Lewis shouted from a few seats down the table. A pop, a flash of light and a puff of smoke emitted from somewhere on the other side of Fred and Hermione.

"Professor McGonagall just kissed Harry Potter!" Jason Black cried. The students in the Great Hall who missed Fred and Hermione's kiss didn't miss the two first years shouting. Every head in the hall turned to where the pseudo Professor McGonagall was still leaning over the table with the pseudo Harry Potter's face in his hands. 

"Fred, the entire hall is staring," the pseudo Snape warned from the other side of Ron.

"Let them stare," Fred/McGonagall replied. 

"10 points from Gryffindor, Potter, for kissing a staff member," George joked in his best Snape impression. 

"Did I hear her correctly?" a cold voice asked from just behind Hermione. Fred sat back down and all of the friends turned to look at Draco. "Did she say your parents are bringing another mudblood into the world?"

"Leave my sister alone," Hermione spat, "we don't even know if she'll be a witch." 

"Well, I didn't come over here to discuss your disgraceful parentage," Draco began.

"Then why are you here?" Astrid asked, coldly. Draco glared down at her and then across the table at Ron.

"Just to say that I'd kill both of you for that little scene earlier, but I don't drink mudblood." He finished his statement with a pointed look at the real Hermione. He smiled evilly at the whole group and ran the tip of his tongue across the sharpened point of his right upper canine tooth. 

"Look, whack job, go back to where you came from before I take points from Slytherin," Ron threatened from between Fred and George. He cast annoyed glances in the directions of both twins, who had automatically grabbed Ron's arms when Draco started speaking. Draco turned and in a flurry of black cape, slunk back to the Slytherin table.

"I'm very proud of you, Ron," Hermione said as soon as Draco was out of earshot. 

"Why?" Ron asked.

"Because you remembered that you're a prefect and didn't try to disembowel him," Hermione said, glancing over at Harry.

"Just because I haven't really acted the part yet, doesn't mean I don't realize I'm a prefect," Harry exclaimed. 

"Have you seen Mandy and Hannah's scary costumes?" Ron asked.

"No," Harry replied. 

"I suggest you look," Ron laughed. Harry turned and surveyed the Ravenclaw table until his eyes fell on the form of one Mandy Brocklehurst. Mandy had devised a costume that covered her in pink fur. Her hair was pink, and she had a pink spot on the end of her nose. Two long furry pink ears extended from the top of her head and she had managed to charm whiskers onto her face. 

"She's a bunny?" Harry asked.

"Looks like it," Ron laughed.

"Didn't you all say scary?" Hermione questioned. 

"Yes," Ron laughed. Hermione rolled her eyes and began to scan the Hufflepuff table. Hannah stood at the very end of the table, talking with a couple of first years. She had twisted her blonde hair up into a complicated twist laced with small white flowers. The tips of her ears were charmed into soft but definite points. She wore a short purple dress with a jagged hemline. The back of the dress had been charmed to have wings, sort of like Parvati's. However, Hannah's wings were sheerer and had definite rainbows running through them. They were also much smaller than Parvati's wings, with no feathers. She wore thin brown sandals on her feet. 

"Wow!" Harry muttered. 

"Get your eyes back in your head," Hermione commanded. 

"She calls that scary?" Ron asked.

"Wow," Harry said again.

"Harry, don't ogle the Hannah!" Ron said, a tone of finality in his voice. Harry turned his back to Hannah and shook his head.

"I ruined it," he muttered. 

"Harry James Potter!" Hermione exclaimed. Harry snapped his head up to look at his twin across the table. 

"Have you talked to Hannah yet this morning?" Hermione asked.

"No," Harry admitted.

"Then how do you know you ruined it?" Hermione asked.

"And what did you have to ruin to begin with?" Ron queried.

"Ron!" Ginny, both twins and Hermione all warned. Astrid laughed appreciatively at her older friends joke, which warranted a quick smile from Ron. 

"Wait until you talk to Hannah before you make all of these judgments," Hermione advised. Harry ran his fingers through his long red hair. 

"When do you all have to work on your project again?" Ginny asked.

"Tuesday," Harry replied.

"That will be a perfect opportunity to talk to her, if one doesn't present itself before then," Hermione said. 

"Who are you all interviewing?" Ron asked.

"The man that pulled me from the wreckage of my parents home," Harry replied. Ron looked confused for a moment before finally realizing exactly why Harry couldn't say the name of the man. He nodded when he finally understood.

"So wait, are you going to tell Hannah?" Hermione asked.

"All of the parties involved have decided that that's probably for the best. Hannah will be able to keep her mouth shut," Harry explained.

"Oh wow, Dumbledore must really trust Hannah," Ron said.

"What are you three blathering on about now?" Fred asked.

"Blathering?" Hermione questioned.

"It means," Fred began.

"I know what it means," Hermione cut in.

"It just sounded like a very McGonagall thing to say," Fred explained. At the head table, Dumbledore cleared his throat. Everyone in the hall fell silent and they all turned to hear the headmaster's announcement.

"The staff and I have had a good chance to look at all of your costumes. Finalists will be announced tonight at the feast and then the students will choose a winner from those finalists," Dumbledore announced. 

"How will the finalists be chosen?" A boy from the Hufflepuff table asked.

"Twelve finalists have been picked at random, three from each house" Dumbledore replied, shooting a look at the Weasley twins. 

"What will the prize be?" a girl from the Ravenclaw table, dressed as a pumpkin, asked.

"A gift certificate to Honeydukes," Dumbledore replied. A few of the students clapped. A few others exchanged excited looks. Ron and Harry looked at each other across the table. Almost simultaneously, the boys slipped their robes off, revealing the moderately short skirts and blouses they wore underneath. They both stood and began walking towards the door of the Great Hall. Fred, George, Dean and Seamus all whistled loudly at the two boys. Ernie and Justin cheered from the Hufflepuff table, and no one noticed, but Mandy and Hannah both turned bright red. 

*****

"Wow, I'm stuffed, I think the house elves really out did themselves this time!" Ron exclaimed, pushing himself back form the table.

"They much have," Astrid muttered thickly around a mouthful of pudding, "to have you admitting you're full." Ron reached over and playfully tousled Astrid's hair while everyone else laughed at the little girl's comment. 

"So what exactly is your brother supposed to be?" Ginny asked.

"Dray is a vampire and I think Keiran is Lucifer," Astrid explained.

"Dray?" Ron questioned, casting a quizzical look at Astrid.

"Draco," Astrid quickly corrected herself.

"Since when does the devil wear a tuxedo?" Hermione asked to prevent further questioning of the girl on her name for her brother.

"Since Keiran decided to dress like him," Astrid explained. Sure enough, Keiran had chosen a black tuxedo complete with a pointed black tail coming from the seat of the pants. He had charmed two black horns to the sides of his head just above his ears.

"Of course, that's not much of a stretch for Keiran," Astrid continued. 

"May I have your attention please?" Dumbledore asked from the head table. The occupants of the Great Hall fell silent and turned to face the old wizard.

"It's time to announce the finalists." Everyone in the hall began to cheer. Dumbledore raised a hand to silence them.

"When I call your name, promptly go through that door," Dumbledore said, pointing to the door where the Triwizard Tournament contestants had gone shortly after being chosen by the Goblet of Fire. 

"Hannah Abbott," Dumbledore called. Hannah stood up and started towards the door. She took a full three steps before her wings began fluttering and she rose to just about the tables.

"Wow," Hermione said, "I'd like to know the spell she used to make her wings actually work."

"It looks like a _Wingardium Leviosa_ from Ernie paired with something from Justin to make her wings move," Ron said with a laugh.

"What if they drop her?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"I do believe Amanda is ready from their table to catch her, and Mandy has her wand out too," Ron said.

Blaise Zabini's at the Slytherin table," Harry said. They all looked over at him and noticed that he, too, was holding his wand.

"Is Blaise that trustworthy?" Hermione asked.

"Mandy seems to think so," Harry replied.

"As far as I know, he should be," Astrid said.

"Dennis Creevey!" Dumbledore called. Instantly the friends burst out with applause and cheering as the flowered sheet clad boy tripped his way up to the door.

"Pansy Parkinson!" Dumbledore called. The Slytherin stood up and started towards the door. 

"Wow," came the general sentiment from Harry, Ron and George as well as most every boy in the hall. Pansy had charmed her already blonde hair to a level of white blonde achieved only by Veela and the occasional Malfoy. The ends floated a few inches above her shoulders in a smooth cloud. She wore a slinky white dress that ran over her slender figure like water. It had spaghetti straps and a square neckline. Sheer sleeves extended from the bottoms of the straps, leaving her shoulders exposed. The hem of the dress floated a few inches from the floor in a mirror image of her hair. To complete the costume, she wore a necklace made of small purple and blue fish that actually moved about her neck in a simulation of swimming. 

"What exactly is she supposed to be?" Ginny asked.

"I think she's the Lady of the Lake from Arthurian Legend," Hermione replied.

"Who said anything about legend?" Ron asked, "King Arthur ruled right around the time Hogwarts was founded." Hermione's jaw dropped and Ron reached across the table and tapped her chin with two fingers. She promptly closed her mouth. 

"Terry Boot!" Dumbledore called. Terry stood up and started towards the door. He wore a ragged robe and had long shaggy black hair.

"I think he's dressed up as Sirius," Hermione said, and quickly added "Black." Fred, George, Ginny and Astrid didn't seem to catch her stuttering at her familiarity with Sirius, so she, Harry and Ron all breathed a silent sigh of relief. 

"Finley Alexander!" Dumbledore called. Finley stood and started to the door. She wore a simple brown robe. She had a large stick bound to her back with heavy ropes. The hem of her robes was engulfed in a non-burning, non-smoking fire. 

"Impressive," Hermione muttered.

"I don't get it," Ron said.

"She's burning at the stake," Astrid explained.

"Oh wow," Ron laughed. 

"Chelsea Ramsey!" Dumbledore called. A small girl jumped up from the Hufflepuff table and scampered towards the door. She wore a brown robe charmed to look like it was covered in dirt and a hat covered in large green leafage. As she ran through the door, she let out an ear splitting screech that caused most hands in the great hall to fly to their corresponding ears. Mandy seemed to be having a bit of trouble with which ears to cover up so her left hand was clamped around her left bunny ear and her right hand over her real right ear. Fred and George had reached around Hermione to cover their brother's ears. 

"Wow, does she have banshee relatives?" Ron asked when the door closed behind the little girl.

"I think she's supposed to be a mandrake," Astrid replied.

"Really now, what tipped you off?" Ron asked.

"Was it the dirt clothes, the green hat, or the screaming?" Harry added. Astrid stuck her tongue out at both boys. 

"George Weasley," Dumbledore called. George jumped up and scowled at the occupants of the Great Hall before stomping off to the door amid gales of laughter.

"Morag MacDougal," Dumbledore announced. The fifth year Ravenclaw stood up and started towards the door. She had her dark hair up in a bun and wore bright red lipstick. She wore a short turquoise robe and high-heeled ruby shoes with a white apron over the robe. She blew kisses to the students in the Great Hall and waved as she made her way towards the door. 

"Madame Rosmerta!" Harry and Ron both laughed. Astrid turned to look at them over her shoulder.

"She runs the Three Broomsticks," Hermione explained. 

"Gregory Goyle!" Dumbledore called. Goyle jumped up from his seat and lumbered towards the door. He was dressed identically to the Mountain Troll the friends had defeated during their first year. 

"I'm impressed," Hermione said.

"What's the bet that Draco did his costume?" Astrid asked.

"What's the bet that he smells like a troll too?" Ron queried. Hermione shook her head at the two of them.

"Amy Madison!" Dumbledore cried. A sixth year Ravenclaw stood up and began walking towards the door. She was dressed as the muggle interpretation of a witch, complete with a green face, warts and a pointed hat. Hermione looked to her friends for their comment, but they stayed silent. 

"Eloise Midgen!" The Hufflepuff girl stood up and started towards the door. She had charmed her hair to be red and curly and wore a brown robe and matching brown cap.

"What's she supposed to be?" Ron asked.

"The female version of whatever Neville is," Ginny quipped.

"She's Helga Hufflepuff," Hermione spat.

"Only you and Dumbledore would know that," Astrid laughed. Hermione leveled a glare on the little girl, who immediately silenced her laughter.

"And finally," Dumbledore said, "Fred Weasley!" Fred stood up and walked to the door in a stately fashion, peering down at all of the students through his square glasses. McGonagall flashed a rare smile at him. 

"Alright," Dumbledore said as soon as the door closed behind Fred. "I'm going to call each contestant back out here by their costume. Clap for the ones you like best. The one who gets the most applause wins. In the spirit of Halloween, I've charmed this pumpkin to monitor the decibel levels of the applause." Dumbledore pointed to a pumpkin hovering in the center of the hall equally above everyone in the hall. 

"The Lady of the Lake!" Dumbledore called. Pansy stepped back into the hall and over towards the center of the staff table. The Slytherin table and the majority of the male population of the hall broke out into cheers. Pansy smiled sweetly at everyone before stepping over towards the other end of the staff table.

"Joan of Arc!" Dumbledore exclaimed. Finley followed Pansy's trail to the center of the tables. She pointed her wand at the hem of her skirt and was quickly consumed in the fake flames. The cheering was a little louder for Finley's bit of pyrotechnics. 

"Mountain Troll!" Dumbledore called. Goyle lumbered in after Finley to a chorus of cheers from Crabbe and Draco. A quick glare from Draco caused the rest of the Slytherin table to clap politely. 

"Mandrake!" Chelsea ran into the hall with another loud screech. Everyone at the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables cheered for her, while most of the Slytherins and Gryffindors covered their ears. 

"Helga Hufflepuff!" Eloise made her way back into the hall to a chorus of polite clapping from the Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, and Gryffindors.   
"Fairy!" Hannah stepped through the door and was instantly lifted off her feet by Justin and Ernie's spells. Harry and Ron both jumped to their feet, yelling and clapping for their friend. Amanda and Mandy were working to make enough noise for four people, as Justin and Ernie couldn't clap because they were concentrating on keeping Hannah in the air. Most of the rest of the hall cheered too, at the fact that Hannah was actually flying. A few of the boys were excited because they almost got a look up her short dress. They cheered louder than most. 

"Sirius Black!" Terry stepped back into the hall and everyone not in Slytherin clapped dutifully, although his costume paled in comparison to Hannah's. 

"Witch!" The Slytherins actually went so far as to boo Amy for her misrepresentation of the witch. The noise caused by their booing made the pumpkin meter elevate to put Amy right behind Hannah, Finley and Pansy in rankings. 

"Madame Rosmerta!" Morag stepped back into the hall and pranced over to join the line. She showered the occupants of the hall with kisses and waves. Most of the boys whistled at her while the girls rolled their eyes. She fell into the rank right above the little Mandrake. 

"Mattress!" Dumbledore cried. Dennis tripped back in to the hall amid gales of laughter at Dumbledore's misinterpretation of Dennis's ghost costume. The Gryffindor table all cheered especially loud for their little Hawaiian print ghost. The pumpkin meter put him in a position right between Finley and Pansy. 

"Professor Snape!" Dumbledore cried. George stomped through the door and smiled broadly at the Slytherins before turning an ice-cold glare on the rest of the hall. The less intelligent Slytherins clapped for the accurate representation of their head of house, while the rest of the students cheered loudly for George. However, their cheers weren't enough to boost him over Hannah before Dumbledore called "Professor McGonagall!" Fred stepped through the door and walked over to the end of the line next to his brother. The cheers for him weren't nearly as loud. He glanced at George. George cast a Snapeish smirk at his brother before placing his right hand on Fred's left cheek, laying his thumb across Fred's lips. Fred put his left hand on George's right cheek and the two boys mashed their thumbs together. George leaned over Fred and to everyone in the Great Hall, it looked as though Severus Snape had just kissed Minerva McGonagall. The students and the majority of the faculty howled with laughter. McGonagall even managed to chuckle out loud. Snape looked positively irate. In the midst of their cheering, Ernie and Justin lost their grip on Hannah and she landed neatly on the floor courtesy of a quick catch by one of the teachers. Dumbledore raised his hand to silence the students and Fred and George finally separated. 

"I do believe Fred and George Weasley, dressed as Professors Snape and McGonagall take this year's prize," Dumbledore announced. The cheering resumed at the Gryffindor tables, but everyone else was silent. Yet again, the Gryffindors had yanked a victory from right under the feet of the other houses. Then the Hufflepuffs noticed that Hannah didn't seem to upset by her loss but was instead hugging both of the twins, so they too began cheering. 

"Alright, you may go back to your houses now!" Dumbledore called. Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny started towards the door arm in arm with Astrid running in their wake. The four friends stepped into the Entrance Hall as Sawyer and Jason pulled Astrid away to go find Dennis. 

"I can't believe the twins did that!" Hermione exclaimed.

"I thought it was quite hilarious," Ginny laughed.

"Harry!" someone from behind them called. They all turned to see Hannah trying to escape the throngs of people pouring from the Great Hall. 

"Hey!" Harry exclaimed.

"Good luck," Ginny muttered.

"I told you things weren't screwed up," Hermione added.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Ron said with a sharp elbow to Harry's ribs.

"Thanks guys, I'll remember that," Harry said, and glanced back at the stairs. They took the cue and continued on their path to Gryffindor tower. Hannah finally struggled from the grasp of the little Mandrake and met Harry halfway up the stairs. 

"I really like your costume," Harry said, smiling down at her.

"Yeah, yours is great too," Hannah said, "but looking at you like that is more than a little weird." 

"Hold on," Harry said, and he pulled his wand from the pocket of his robe. He pointed it at his hair and muttered "_Finite Incantatem_." His hair re-shortened to its formerly messy black state. "Better?"

"Well, besides the much neater hair, the blue eyes, the lack of glasses and the scar, yes" Hannah said with a laugh.

"My hair is neater?" Harry asked.

"Only because you shortened it a little much I think," Hannah explained.

"But the lack of glasses is a bad thing?' Harry asked.

"Not necessarily, I'm just used to seeing you with them on," Hannah replied.

"And I'm not risking un-charming my eyes until I can get to a mirror," Harry said.

"I don't blame you," Hannah said.

"Now we just have to ignore the fact that I'm still wearing a skirt and girls blouse underneath this robe," Harry laughed. Hannah rolled her eyes at him. 

"How are you?" she asked.

"I'm doing okay," Harry replied honestly. He hadn't thought much about his parents, but knew the conversation with Hannah was inevitable.

"Are you sure?" Hannah asked.

"I'll admit this Halloween has been a bit harder knowing exactly how they died and everything, but I've come to accept that they're gone and they're not coming back," Harry explained. The pair had walked to a small side hall off of the landing on the second floor. 

"That's a good attitude to have about it," Hannah said. She smiled up at Harry. 

"Thank you," Harry said.

"For what?" Hannah asked. Harry wrapped his arms around Hannah and pulled her into a tight hug.

"For putting up with me and besides that, just generally being great," Harry replied. He lifted her off the ground and spun her around a few times.

"What's the Gryffindor fascination with spinning people?" a familiar voice asked from the end of the hall. Harry returned Hannah to her feet and turned to face the source of the voice. He found a miniature Draco, a "mattress", a Quidditch player and a very peculiarly dressed Sawyer. Sawyer had charmed his entire body to be a warm shade of brown. He wore blue shorts that came just below his slightly larger stomach and a large Hawaiian print shirt that didn't quite cover his belly button. His belly button had been charmed to look perfectly round and vaguely plastic. His hair had been turned blue, elongated and charmed to stand up above his head in a cloud of blue. 

"I don't know," Harry replied, shooting the little girl a look that said, "You just interrupted a moment." 

"Um, exactly what are you supposed to be?" Hannah asked.

"A Quidditch player!" Jason cried.

"Draco!" Astrid said.

"A GHOST!" Dennis exclaimed.

"Mattress boy," Jason laughed under his breath. Hannah still looked at Sawyer for an answer.

"I'm a muggle phenomena called the treasure troll," Sawyer explained with a laugh.

"That's what I thought," Hannah giggled. She smiled benevolently at the three first years and Dennis, which was a direct contrast to Harry's icy glare. A loud shriek issued from the entrance hall.

"Well, bye Harry, I'll see you on Tuesday. I'm going to uncharm Chelsea's voice so she can't do that any more," Hannah said, and she took off towards the Entrance Hall. Astrid, Sawyer, Dennis and Jason all burst into laughter as soon as Hannah was out of earshot.

"You have five seconds," Harry said, glaring at the four children. "Run. And hope I don't decide to start after three." 

_Beta's Note: Hippie-chic is giving me this second to try to lure people to my ship. First person to get the Buffy references I provided for this chapter gets to be the first mate on the HMS Red Dwarf. We've almost got an outboard motor! Read and Review. I'm the one that's got to listen to her if there aren't any. J/K. --- Chosentwo4381_


	22. Chapter 22

I borrowed them from JKR for a while. I promise I'll give them back when she asks for them. Well, except for Astrid and the other little Malfoy's. They're mine. And some of the other characters too.

Thanks to Natalie, my awesome Beta!

If you would like to receive the email announcing chapter updates, please leave your email in your review. 

Thanks

That being said:

*****

"Where is little miss Malfoy?" Ron asked, stomping into the common room on the Tuesday after Halloween. He had been in his dorm looking for his Divination homework.

"Astrid?" Harry asked, looking up from his Transfiguration notes. He was stretched out on the rug in front of the fire. 

"No, Emma," Ron spat. 

"What's Astrid done now?" Hermione asked from her seat on the floor against the couch. Fred sat right above her on the couch. Both were reading potions notes. George and Angelina had curled themselves into one chair and were alternating between reading Fred and George's shared Defense book and snogging. Ginny and Colin were sitting on another couch quizzing each other on dates and terms for a History of Magic exam. 

"I wouldn't advise going into our room," Ron said.

"Why?" Harry asked. 

"My beater bat has been charmed to chase whoever is in the room around until they leave," Ron replied. Fred and George both instantly turned their attention to Ron. "Yes, there is another little prankster in our midst."

"Sweet!" Fred cried.

"How do you know its Astrid?" George asked. 

"She offered to carry my bat up from the field after practice yesterday because I had to carry the balls," Ron replied.

"And the charm didn't activate until today?" Fred questioned.

"Evidently not," Ron replied. 

"She's a first year, she couldn't have done that," Colin insisted.

"She's a Malfoy, I'd be willing to bet that she could and she did," Ron replied, glaring down at the younger boy. 

"I don't get it," Colin said.

"The Malfoy children come to school knowing more curses than most of us will ever learn," Hermione explained. 

"You're sure it was Astrid?" Ginny asked.

"It makes the most logical sense," Ron said.

"The only other people who could have had access to the bat are Seamus, Dean and Neville, they've never pranked before so I really don't think they would start now," Harry reasoned. 

"So none of you have seen Astrid?" Ron asked.

"Nope," Hermione said.

"Shall I attempt to summon her?" Harry asked.

"Go for it!" Ron exclaimed. Harry closed his eyes and formed a mental picture of the little girl.

"You might hurt her!" Hermione cried just as Harry muttered "_Accio Astrid_." 

"Too late!" Harry said, opening his green eyes and smiling at Hermione. 

"Harry James Potter!" came a stern voice from the other side of the common room. Quickly enough, the source of the voice was seated neatly right beside Harry. "One of these days I will be too big for you to summon."

"Keep dreaming, chica," Ron laughed, "Harry's summoning charm has retrieved an entire desk before. You'll never be that big." Astrid glared playfully at Ron. 

"One of these days you're going to regret saying that. Eventually I'm going to be tall enough to fight back," she warned. 

"You're planning on being almost two meters tall?" Ron asked.

"Keep dreaming," Hermione laughed.

"I only have," Astrid paused for a moment, "About half a meter to grow." She glared up at Ron.

"The bat," George quietly reminded his younger brother.

"Oh yes," Ron said, "Astrid, what did you do to my beater bat?"

"Your beater bat?" Astrid asked innocently.

"Yes, my beater bat," Ron replied.

"What beater bat?" Astrid asked.

"The one you carried for me yesterday," Ron said.

"Oh, THAT beater bat!" Astrid laughed.

"Yes, that beater bat," Ron replied. 

"I didn't do anything to your beater bat," Astrid replied.

"That's a bunch of crap," Ron said.

"No, it's really not," Astrid said with a sly smile.

"Well then why is my bat chasing anyone who walks in my dorm around the room until they can leave?" Ron asked.

"Sawyer and Jason," Astrid replied with another smile.

"What about Sawyer and Jason?"

"They put the curse on the bat," Astrid said.

"How did they know that curse?" Ron asked, "Because I know Sawyer and Jason couldn't have done that without some help from someone a little more advanced in the area of curses." He glared down at the small girl still seated next to Harry.

"Oh, that," Astrid replied, smiling at Ron. "Well I suppose I did suggest cursing the bat and even sort of suggested the curse."

"How do you sort of suggest a curse?" Ron questioned. 

"Okay. I said 'hey Sawyer and Jason, I've got Ron's beater bat.' And then they said 'Gee Astrid, that's great but we really don't care.' And then I said, 'let's play a trick on him.' They said 'alright, let's.' So I gave them the bat and told them to do the curse and they did, so you can't get mad at me." Astrid's recount of the events sounded like a muggle kindergarten reader. 

"Want to bet?" Ron asked.

"About what?" Astrid replied.

"That I can't get mad at you," Ron said, he started walking towards the little girl.

"HARRY! SAVE ME!" Astrid cried. She jumped over Harry to put him between her and his advancing best friend. 

"Sorry chica, this is one battle you're going to have to fight on your own," Harry laughed. He tried to get out of Ron's way but Astrid clung to the back of his robes. 

"Okay Astrid, hold on," Harry said. He grabbed her knees and she clasped her arms around his neck. He took off around the couch Hermione and Fred were seated on. He stopped right behind Fred and turned to look at Ron. Astrid peeked over his shoulder at the tall fifth year. Ron moved to his left so Harry copied his action, putting the two boys on either side of Fred and Hermione. Ron easily vaulted over the back of the couch putting himself face to face with Harry and Astrid. 

"Where are you two going to go now?" Ron asked playfully. Harry didn't answer but half dived, half fell over the couch, Astrid still attached to his back. Astrid let out a screech that almost rattled the windows of Gryffindor tower and she and Harry crashed into the floor. Ron dived back across the couch, flinging himself onto the pile in the floor. Astrid screamed again as Ron's fingers found her sides and tickled her mercilessly. Harry threw his arms around Ron's waist.

"Run Astrid!" he cried. Astrid smacked at Ron's hands as she stumbled to her feet. She tripped over Hermione and started towards the back of the common room. Ron struggled to his feet, Harry still clinging to his waist. Ron began walking towards Astrid, dragging a limp Harry behind him. 

"You know, this would be much easier if you'd let go of me," Ron told Harry as he dragged him towards Astrid's corner. Harry instantly let go of Ron and stood up.

"Thank you!" Ron exclaimed. He turned back to go after Astrid but Harry promptly jumped on his back, piggy back style, and clasped his arms around Ron's shoulders. 

"RUN ASTRID!" Harry cried. Astrid darted back towards Hermione and Fred. Ron struggled to reverse his direction with the added weight of Harry on his back. Astrid, giggling madly, jumped onto the couch between Colin and Ginny. 

"Your brother is psychotic," she said as she curled herself into a small ball right next to the youngest Weasley child. 

"He wasn't until you became a Gryffindor," Ginny replied.

"Ginny, really think about that statement," Fred advised.

"Okay, he's been psychotic for as long as I've known him," Ginny amended her statement.

"Which is how long?" Astrid asked. 

"All but fifteen months of his life," Ginny replied.

"So your birthday is in June then?" Astrid asked.

"Yes," Ginny replied, "June 16th."

"Really now? Emma's is the 11th," Astrid said.

"Um Astrid, you may want to run," Colin advised. Astrid looked up from her position next to Ginny to see Ron with a pair of arms wrapped around his shoulders and Harry's head peeking over his left shoulder towering over her. 

"I tried to stop him," Harry said.

"Thank you Harry, now I need a new ear drum to replace the one you just screamed in!" Ron cried. Harry smiled evilly. 

"If I go uncharm the bat will you leave me alone?" Astrid asked.

"Do you promise never to do it again?" Ron replied.

"Yes," Astrid said meekly. Harry rolled his eyes at her and she had to stifle a giggle. Ron couldn't see Harry's expression so he glared at Astrid. Harry crossed his eyes and stuck out his tongue at the girl.

"And do you promise to call off your trained monkey?" Ron asked.

"I don't have a trained monkey," Astrid said.

"Then what's this hanging on my back?" Ron asked.

"Oh, THAT," Astrid laughed, "yes, that's a trained monkey. Down boy!" Harry promptly released his grip on Ron and dropped to the ground. Ron rubbed his shoulders where Harry had been holding on to him. 

"Go," Ron warned Astrid. She jumped up and ran off towards the boy's dorms. 

"You know, I would expect a spectacle like that from Astrid, but the two of you are fifteen years old!" Hermione scolded.

"Actually, collectively we're thirty," Harry said, raising his eyebrow at Hermione.

"Hermione dear, you forget that they are boys," Ginny said, "they're not notoriously the most intelligent creatures on the planet."

"And they mature at a much slower rate than girls. I personally don't see how you put up with the two of them," Angelina laughed from her spot next to/with/on George. 

"Oh, they're not so bad once you learn to ignore half of the things they say and do," Hermione laughed. Ron and Harry both spun to glare at their friend.

"I resent that!" Harry exclaimed

"I was kidding boys, you know I love you both," Hermione laughed. 

"You have quite the interesting way of showing it," Ron joked. Hermione pointedly ignored his statement and instead looked down at her watch.

"Harry, don't you have to meet Hannah at eight?" she asked innocently. 

"Yeah, what time is it?" Harry asked.

"Harry's meeting Hannah?" Fred asked.

"Yes," Hermione replied.

"OOOOO Harry and Hannah!!!" George and Angelina chorused.

"He wishes," Ron corrected. Harry turned to glare at his friends.

"It's about seven till eight," Hermione said. 

"Bye guys!" Harry cried. He patted his pocket to make sure he had his wand and jogged towards the portrait hole. 

%%%%%

"Chelsea, I think you've got it," Hannah said. She closed the first year transfiguration book and looked down at the younger girl. Chelsea tucked a strand of brown hair behind her ear and smiled up at Hannah.

"Thanks Hannah," Chelsea replied. She began putting her books and notes into her bag.

"Alright. We'll work some more next week," Hannah said. She stood up and picked up her bag.

"You've gotta go meet Harry now, doncha?" Chelsea asked.

"Yes," Hannah replied. She smiled sweetly at the little girl.

"HANNAH ABBOTT FANCIES HARRY POTTER!!!" Chelsea screeched. Even without the aide of the voice altering charm, Chelsea was loud enough to turn every head in the Hufflepuff common room. 

"HANNAH FANCIES HARRY!" Chelsea cried again. She began running a crazy circuit about the common room shouting her message at the top of her lungs. Hannah pulled out her wand and leveled it at the quickly moving figure. 

"_Petrificus Totalus!"_ Hannah cried. Chelsea immediately froze and fell completely silent. The common room erupted with laughter. 

"Hannah Abbott, 10 points from Hufflepuff!" prefect Susan Bones called from the corner where she and Eloise Midgen had been going over potions notes. Hannah smiled sweetly at Susan before excusing herself from the common room, leaving Ernie and Justin to deal with the frozen first year. She glanced at her watch and realized her tutoring session with Chelsea had taken longer than she expected and she only had a few moments before she was supposed to meet Harry in the Entrance Hall for their interview. She broke into a jog down the hall next to the kitchen. As she ran, she wondered exactly how quickly it would take Chelsea's little scene in the common room to make its way back to Harry. She rounded a corner and sprinted up some stairs before running the opposite direction down another long hall. At the end of that hall, she turned left through a door and made an immediate right through a picture frame. She ran to the end of that hall and turned left onto a set of stairs. She ran up the stairs and found herself in the Entrance Hall just as Harry thundered down the steps leading up to the other levels of the school. 

"Hi!" Harry said. He was quite breathless. 

"Hi," Hannah replied. She waved at him a bit. "Sorry I'm late, but I was helping Chelsea with some transfiguration homework."

"Mandrake Chelsea?" Harry asked.

"Yes, Mandrake Chelsea," Hannah replied. The mention of Mandrake Chelsea brought the earlier scene back into Hannah's head and significantly decreased her good mood.

"That's alright. I was definitely fighting with Ron and Astrid," Harry laughed.

"Fighting?" Hannah asked.

"Yes, fighting," Harry replied, "Astrid played a joke on Ron and we all ended up running around the common room like a bunch of first years."

"She is a first year," Hannah pointed out.

"True," Harry replied. 

"It seems like she and Chelsea would get along," Hannah said.

"Maybe we'll have to introduce them."

"So who are we going to interview? You still haven't told me." Hannah said.

"And I still can't tell you. We've got to go off Hogwarts grounds to meet the person. Dumbledore has given me permission so we're going to fly out to where he is," Harry said.

"Why can't you tell me?" Hannah asked, her face turning red.

"I just can't," Harry insisted. He looked at her with his big green eyes, silently pleading with her to understand.

"I hope you have a good reason for this secrecy," Hannah said, fluttering her eyelashes down across her brilliant blue eyes and breaking eye contact with the young man in front of her.

"I do," Harry replied, "Trust me, I do." 

"Okay," Hannah said. She still didn't look up at Harry.

"Well, we've got to go down to the kitchens and pick up some things from the house elves and then we can go get the brooms," Harry said.

"Alright," Hannah replied. Harry started towards the steps Hannah had just come up and Hannah quietly followed him. "What do we have to pick up from the kitchens?"

"Food," Harry replied.

"Why?" Hannah asked.

"We need to take some things to the person we're interviewing," Harry replied.

"Why?" Hannah asked.

"Can I explain that when I explain everything else?" Harry asked, sounding slightly guilty.

"Sure," Hannah replied harshly. She was a bit put off by having to wait to learn of plans for her own project. Until this point, she and Harry and shared the work, completely fifty-fifty. Adding Harry's vagueness on top of Chelsea's correct assumptions and the ensuing announcement did not make for a happy Hannah. They walked the rest of the way to the kitchens in complete silence, save the click of their shoes on the cold stone floor. Harry tickled the pear and opened the door to the kitchen. He held it open for Hannah to enter before going in himself.

"Harry Potter!" Dobby cried, sprinting over to where Harry stood.

"Hi Dobby. I'm here to pick up the things for Professor Dumbledore," Harry replied.

"Right," Dobby said, "I is getting them for master Harry Potter sir." He turned and sprinted off in the direction he had just come from. 

"Crazy little thing, isn't he?" Harry asked. Hannah nodded mutely. Harry looked over at her and laughed nervously, stopping when he noticed she wasn't also laughing. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Hannah lied, immediately looking away from Harry. 

"You're being incredibly silent for nothing to be wrong," Harry said. Hannah shook her blonde bangs out of her eyes and looked over at Harry.

"I'm fine," she insisted. 

"Okay," Harry replied. He crossed his arms across his chest and looked over to where Dobby had disappeared to, willing the house elf to reappear quickly. 

"Harry Potter!" Dobby cried, running up to the two teenagers from the other direction. He held a large paper bag in his small hands. "I is having the food for the great good wizard Dumbledore sir." He handed the bag to Harry. Harry took it and pulled out his wand. He quickly made the bag small and slipped it in his pocket.

"I's also putting two butterbeers in there for you and Miss Hannah Abbott, sir," Dobby said. 

"Thanks Dobby," Hannah said warmly.

"Thanks Dobby," Harry echoed. 

"Come visit Dobby," the elf insisted as the two teenagers walked out of the kitchen.

"I will," Harry called back over his shoulder. "Now we've got to get the broom."

"The broom?" Hannah asked.

"Yes," Harry replied. Hannah didn't question him any further. The walked in silence out to the broom shed. Harry had stashed his broom in the shed after the mornings Quidditch practice. When they reached the shed, Harry pulled open the door and headed inside. He picked up his Firebolt and turned to Hannah. 

"Ready?" He asked. She reached for her Cleansweep, but he stopped her.

"What?" Hannah asked,

"I thought it might be easier if we take one broom," Harry suggested. 

"Just because I can't fly as well as you doesn't mean I'm not competent," Hannah said, and she grabbed her broom. 

"I didn't say you weren't competent," Harry said, "I just thought you might like to fly the Firebolt so I could explain about the person we're getting ready to interview!" He turned on his heel and stomped out of the shed, angry at Hannah's bad attitude towards him. Hannah allowed her broom to clatter to the floor and she chased after Harry. 

"Harry, I'm sorry!" Hannah exclaimed, just as Harry mounted his broom. Harry turned to look at her. She stood in the doorway of the broom shed, hands on her hips defiantly. Her blonde bangs swept across her dark blue eyes and she nervously tapped one foot. She reached up and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. Harry quickly dismounted the broom and walked over to her.

"Here, you can fly it," he said, handing the broom to her. She smiled brightly and took the broom from him. She quickly jumped on it and turned to him. He slipped into the broom behind her and placed his hands carefully on her waist.

"Wow it feels weird to be a passenger on my own broom," Harry laughed. 

"I'm sorry for being so mean earlier," Hannah said. "I was a little upset at something Chelsea did."

"Next time Chelsea makes you mad, tell her you'll have Ron step on her," Harry suggested. 

"I just put her in a fully body bind," Hannah said.

"Wow. I think I'd like to do that to a couple of people in Gryffindor," Harry laughed.

"Such as?" Hannah asked.

"Well, Fred, George, Angelina, Ginny, Ron and Hermione for starters," Harry said. "And Colin Creevey." 

"Just them?" Hannah asked with a laugh. She kicked off easily and started towards the stars. 

"For now, yes," Harry laughed. He leaned against her back to prevent being swept backwards off of the broom by the wind. 

"What did they do to warrant that?" Hannah asked.

"They were being jerks right before I left to meet you. Well, between the fight with Ron and Astrid and the time I left," Harry explained. 

"Oh," Hannah said. "This broom is fantastic!"

"Isn't it?" Harry asked.

"If it wouldn't mean years worth of pay checks for my mum, this would definitely be the number one item on my list for Christmas," Hannah said. A feather light touch from her right hand made the broom turn sharply right. She pulled up on the handle, making the broom push higher into the stars.

"I'm very lucky," Harry replied.

"Yeah, you really are," Hannah laughed. "Who gave you the broom anyway?"

"Sirius Black," Harry replied without missing a beat. He instinctively tightened his grip on Hannah, afraid she would react wildly to the news. At the mention of the notorious "criminal's" name, he felt her tense visibly, but she didn't try to spin around and look at him or anything. 

"Sirius Black?" Hannah asked quietly. Harry didn't loosen his grip on her.

"Yes. And in fact, that's who we're heading to interview," Harry said calmly. 

"Oh, that's simply fantastic, Harry," Hannah spat. "You wait until you've got me 100 meters in the air on a bloody broom to tell me we're on our way to interview a convicted murderer." 

"Something to that effect," Harry said, "But you must understand one thing about Sirius."

"What's that?" Hannah asked.

"While he's a convicted murderer, he's not guilty of murder," Harry explained.

"How do you figure?" Hannah asked. She was staying quite calm and focused on flying the broom.

"Well, I suppose you need to know the abbreviated version of the entire story," Harry said. "When Sirius was in school, he, my father, Professor Lupin and Peter Pettigrew were inseparable."

"Peter Pettigrew? As in the guy Sirius Black supposedly killed?" Hannah asked.

"Yes. My father, Professor Lupin, Sirius and Pettigrew were best friends. As you know, Professor Lupin is a werewolf."

"Yes," Hannah replied.

"The four of them were such good friends that my father, Sirius and Pettigrew all became animagi so they could accompany Professor Lupin on his full-moon transformations. My father transformed into a stag, Sirius into a dog, and Pettigrew into a rat." 

"Okay," Hannah said.

"Well, when things with Voldemort got bad, my parents had to go into hiding using the Fidelius Charm. Everyone thought they chose Sirius as their secret keeper. In reality, they chose Pettigrew. He told Voldemort where to find them because he's a death eater."

"That still doesn't account for Sirius blasting that street full of people to pieces," Hannah said.

"Well, Sirius chased Peter down to that particular point. Sirius fired off a curse that made Peter lose part of one of his fingers. Peter held his wand behind his back and fired off the curses that killed all of the muggles, then transformed into his rat and disappeared into the sewer," Harry said.

"Really now?" Hannah asked.

"Yes. And all Sirius could do was stand there and laugh about it, so they arrested him. Pettigrew stayed in hiding as a rat, and, in fact, as Ron's pet rat Scabbers until our third year."

"No way."

"Yes. As you remember, that's the year Sirius escaped from Azkaban. So Sirius came to Hogwarts and we eventually caught Pettigrew, but he escaped and returned to Voldemort."

"Wow," Hannah said softly.

"Do you believe me?" Harry asked.

"You tell that story all to easily for it to be a lie," Hannah replied, "but why didn't someone kill Pettigrew while they had the chance?"

"I talked Lupin and Sirius out of it. I don't think my father would have wanted them to become killers," Harry explained.

"That doesn't explain the top of the line racing broom we're flying right now," Hannah said.

"Oh, this," Harry laughed. "Sirius and my father were absolute best friends. Sirius was best man at my parents' wedding and he's actually my godfather. If we can ever prove that he's innocent, I'll go live with him in the summers rather than the Dursleys. He gave me the broom to make up for thirteen years of missed birthdays and Christmases."

"That's definitely," Hannah said. She trailed off for a moment before regaining her voice. "Definitely interesting."

"You do realize that you're now one of a very few people who knows about this and you can't say a word to anyone," Harry said.

"I figured as much," Hannah replied, "but how are we going to list Sirius as a source in our presentation."

"We'll say we found some reports from an unidentified eyewitness in a book in the library," Harry explained, "I actually believe Dumbledore is in the process of creating us such a book." 

"Good thinking," Hannah said. She shivered slightly in the cool night air. She hadn't thought to bring a cloak because she didn't plan on flying. Harry instinctively leaned in closer to her. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, hoping to reduce some of her shivering. 

"So you're okay with meeting Sirius?" Harry asked.

"Yes," Hannah replied. She leaned back against him slightly, "However, I'm not exactly sure where I'm supposed to be going, so if you want to give me a bit of direction here, it would be quite helpful." Harry put his hands on the broom, one in front and one behind Hannah's. He slowly guided the broom down to a level more conducive to seeing the ground. 

"We should be there shortly," Harry said, surveying the town of Hogsmeade flashing below them. 

"Where exactly are we going?" Hannah asked, finally falling completely back into Harry's embrace. He rested his head against hers. 

"When Sirius is around Hogwarts, he hides out in a cave in the mountains past Hogsmeade," Harry explained. Hannah was silent for a moment. 

"Isn't that a bit suspicious?" she finally asked.

"No," Harry replied. "Sirius plays the loveable stray quite well."

"He stays as a dog?"

"Ah, yes," Harry said with a bit of a laugh, "Do you want to see exactly how fast this broom can go?"

"Sure!" Hannah squealed. Instinctively she leaned closer to the handle of the broom. Harry leaned in also and tightened his grip on the broom with his right hand. The broom instantly accelerated. Hannah squealed with delight. Her hair whipped back and Harry caught a whiff of her apple shampoo. Harry used his right hand to angle the broom towards a mountain looming in the distance. Hannah squealed again. Harry couldn't resist the urge to show off a bit. He pulled up with his right hand. The broom shot skyward so quickly that it rolled backwards before continuing in the direction they had been going. Harry instantly threw all of his weight to the left. The broom responded perfectly, pitching the pair into a tightly contained helix. After about four complete spins, Harry forced the broom into a steep dive directly at the side of the mountain. Hannah laughed cheerfully even though they were hurtling towards a rock face at an alarming rate of speed. The mountain drew closer but Harry didn't reduce the speed of the broom. Hannah didn't protest. The wind ripped through their hair and bit at their cheeks but Harry never slowed. Only two meters from the cave, Harry pulled straight up on the broom and simultaneously applied pressure with his left hand. The broom braked and the pair slid neatly into the small opening of the cave. The teenagers tumbled off the broom, both laughing. Hannah tried to smooth her hair, quite unsuccessfully. Harry ran both hands through his hair, making it stand up more. 

"Must you make an entrance specifically to impress the girl?" A bodiless voice asked form a dark corner. 

"Sirius!" Harry exclaimed. He turned to look in the direction the voice came from so Hannah wouldn't notice the red tinge coming over his cheeks. 

"Harry," Sirius replied. He stepped out of the shadows and extended his hand formally to his godson. Harry grabbed his godfather's hand tightly and pulled him into a very quick, very masculine hug. Harry stepped back and pulled Hannah towards Sirius.

"Sirius, this is Hannah Abbott, my History of Magic partner," Harry said. "Hannah, this is Sirius Black, my godfather." Sirius held out his hand to Hannah. Hannah placed her hand in his. Rather than shaking her hand like she expected him to, he brushed a kiss across the back of her hand.

"Delighted," he said with a smile. Hannah turned bright red and giggled.

"Now that we all know each other, did you bring me any food?" Sirius asked. Harry reached into his pocket and pulled out the miniature bag. He handed it to Sirius.

"Okay smart one, you expect me to eat that how?" Sirius asked. Harry pulled out his wand and quickly enlarged the bag.

"Everything in there is yours but the butter beer," Harry said, "Dobby sent that for me and Hannah." Sirius pawed through the bag and pulled out the two bottles. He handed one to Harry and the other to Hannah. 

"Shall we get started on the interview then?" Sirius asked as he examined a chicken leg as if contemplating whether or not to take a bite. Harry looked around the small cave. He quickly conjured a few candles that cast an eerie dim light across the rocks. He transfigured a rock into a blanket and pulled it back against the wall of the cave. He sat down and Hannah sat next to him,

"Sure," He said when they were situated. Sirius pulled out his own wand and transfigured himself a lawn chair complete with umbrella. He sank into the chair and smiled down at his godson. Harry shook his head at the older man. Hannah looked unsure of what to think of the older wizard. 

"So what did you want to ask me?" Sirius asked.

"You don't have a pensieve do you?" Harry asked.

"No. Well. Yes. But Orion has it," Sirius said.

"Orion?"

"Jason's grandfather," Sirius explained, "My older brother. Why do you ask."

"The interview with Snape involved a pensieve," Harry replied, looking down at his shoes. Sirius looked down at Harry over his chicken leg with a sympathetic look on his face.

"Okay, so your first question," Sirius prompted. 

"How old were my parents when they died?" Harry quickly asked. Hannah looked over at him. This was not the question they had planned. 

"Lily was 21 and James was 20," Sirius replied.

"My mum was older than my dad?" Harry asked.

"Yes. James actually should have been in Arabella's year, but Atticus, your grandfather, was on the board of school governors at the time. He petitioned the governors to allow James to enter school a year early because James's accidental magic was out of control," Sirius explained.

"When were their birthdays?" Harry asked.

"Lily's was May 27th and James's was November 7th," Sirius said.

"He was seven days away from being 21," Harry muttered. Sirius nodded sympathetically. Hannah reached over and placed her hand lightly on the back of Harry's.

"So where were you the night my parents died?" Harry asked. 

"Remus and Bella were at our flat in London," Sirius replied.

"You, Remus and Ms. Arabella had a flat together?" Harry asked.

"Yes. It was most convenient for the three of us because Arabella worked at the ministry and Remus had a job just in London. I was an unemployed bum at the time, trying to get a job at Zonko's," Sirius explained. 

"So how did you find out what had happened?" Harry asked.

"Well, Bella was summoned into work, so Remus figured something had happened. Then Dumbledore appeared right in our flat and told Remus to go to James and Lily's. I had already left to check on Peter before Bella even got summoned in to work," Sirius replied.

"So did you find Wormtail?" Harry asked.

"No," Sirius replied. "I still wonder if Dumbledore expected then what was going to happen. But I didn't find Peter. His house was empty, so I decided to head over to Lily and James's to see what was wrong because things just really didn't feel right"

"Dumbledore has an odd sixth sense," Hannah replied.

"Why was Ms. Arabella summoned into work?" Harry asked.

"Harry, Arabella Figg is not someone to mess with. She's one of the best Aurors the ministry has. Why do you think she was allowed to guard you for your entire life? They wouldn't let just anyone have that job."

"Ms. Arabella? Really?" Harry asked.

"Yes," Sirius replied. "If she and Bill Weasley ever decide to have children, I'd hate to think how powerful the kids will be." 

"Wait, Bill?" Hannah asked.

"Yes. Bill was our generation's Hermione Granger," Sirius explained. 

"No way," Harry cried.

"Actually, yes. Bill was a dorky little kid who lived in the library, only really coming out to go to the loo and play Quidditch," Sirius laughed. 

"And Ms. Arabella liked him why?" Harry asked.

"Bella was the best Defense student probably since Tom Riddle. None of us questioned her about liking the little bookworm."

"Well, now she's engaged to one of the cutest wizards in England, so I'd say it paid off." Hannah laughed.

"I find most witches your age prefer Aiden Lynch, Bradford Gianmarco or Harry," Sirius said. He raised a questioning eyebrow at Hannah. She turned a brilliant shade of rosy pink. 

"Do not!" Harry insisted.

"Oh but they do," Sirius replied, "You should have seen the article _Teen Witch_ ran on you last July."

"No!" Harry insisted.

"Actually yeah," Hannah admitted thinking of the copy of the magazine she had on her bedside table.

"Next question!" Sirius declared through a mouthful of chicken.

"Okay, So Arabella the Auror was called into duty, you were already looking for Pettigrew, and Professor Lupin was sent to sent James and Lily's house," Hannah clarified.

"Yes," Sirius agreed.

"What did you find when you got to Godric's Hollow?" Harry asked.

"Your house was quite wrecked. The dark mark was huge in the air," Sirius explained.

"How?" Harry asked. "Voldemort was basically dead." Sirius flicked the chicken bone towards the mouth of the cave and pulled another piece from the bag.

"Wormtail," came his reply.

"What did you do when you saw the house?" Hannah asked.

"I flew my motorcycle to the road right in front of the house. When I saw the house and the mark, I sat down right there on the edge of the road and cried like a baby," Sirius said. Harry tensed a bit and Hannah ran her thumb softly across his knuckles. Harry turned his hand over and carefully laced his fingers through hers. 

"Remus showed up a few moments later and sat with me. We sat there on the edge of the road in silence. Then I decided to try to find Peter, so I got back on my bike and headed off. I got out over the forest next to the house and then decided they had people like Bella on that job, I needed to be back at the house. I turned around and by the time I got there Hagrid was there," Sirius said. He had paled considerably and clenched the arm of his chair with white knuckles. Harry drew his knees to his chest and wrapped his left arm around them. Hannah scooted a bit closer to Harry. 

"Where was I while all of this was going on?" Harry asked.

"Well, while your father was like a brother to me and Peter, and Remy, who showed up a few minutes later, we didn't share his paternal instincts. You were definitely still in the house," Sirius sort of laughed. 

"And it took the two of you how long to get me out?" Harry questioned. 

"Well Hagrid showed up just after Remus got there and I left, he asked Remus where you were," Sirius began, sort of chuckling under his breath. "As it turns out, Dumbledore's whole purpose for sending Remus to the house was to see if he could find you in the wreckage. I think Dumbledore knew you were still alive."

"So instead you sat in the street?" Harry asked. 

"Well, yes. Then Hagrid asked where you were. Remus sort of looked at him with a blank look for a few seconds then they got up and raced over to the house. Hagrid appeared just a moment later." Sirius said. "The front part of the house was completely blasted into smithereens, but the back wall still stood. Remus and Hagrid ran around back because they figured if you were anywhere you were either in the kitchen, the living room, or your nursery and they were all three on the back of the house. They got to the section of the living room first. Luckily, Remus is ridiculously strong because of his lycanthropy so he and Hagrid started slinging rubble out of the way. They got to a large section of the roof and heard a screech from underneath. It must have been a massive adrenaline rush for them, because the roof was large, even for a werewolf and a half giant. They managed to throw the roof section out of the way."

"Why didn't Remus levitate it?" Hannah asked logically.

"We were barely more than teenage wizards who had just lost our best friends. He probably didn't think about that," Sirius replied. Hannah rolled her eyes.

"It does happen," Harry said. "Hermione forgot she was a witch during first year when were heading to get the Philosopher's Stone." Hannah smiled slightly.

"So they threw the roof out of the way. Your mother was lying under rubble, pinned from the waist down." Sirius paused for a moment and swallowed hard. "Remus immediately fell next to her and tried to drag her from under the rubble. He managed to pull her out and he held her. You were lying right behind Hagrid and you screamed again. Hagrid quickly picked you up. You had blood everywhere, but other than that you were fine, and all of the blood was from your forehead. I showed up again right after Hagrid picked you up."

"Did you try to heal him?" Hannah asked.

"I tried, but I couldn't, and that's when we sort of figured out that something VERY powerful must have hit him for me not to be able to heal him. I was kind of an expert at healing charms. Me being able to heal us kept us from getting into trouble for several pranks." Sirius explained. 

"Then what?" Hannah asked.

"Well, I let Hagrid use my motorbike to take Harry over to Privet Drive for Dumbledore. I figured even then that I would be in trouble because whether I got put in Azkaban for betraying Lily and James or killing Peter, I was going. Just after Hagrid left, I felt a wand at my throat"

"Did the death eaters come back?" Hannah asked.

"Oh no. That was good old Remy," Sirius replied.

"REMUS?" Hannah and Harry asked simultaneously. 

"Well, yes. It stands to reason doesn't it?" Sirius asked.

"How do you figure?" Harry replied.

"The last thing he had heard concerning your parents secret keeper was that your dad had chosen me. Therefore I would have been the one to turn them over to Voldemort," Sirius replied. 

"So he attacked you?"

"Yes. Well. He held his wand to my throat and threatened to hex me into oblivion if I tried anything because, and I quote, 'you were the sick bastard who did this'." Sirius replied quietly.

"What did you do?" Hannah asked.

"I said, 'Remus. At the last second James and I decided that I was too logical of a choice for secret keeper and it would just make me a target. He and Lily changed their secret keeper to Peter."

"Did Professor Lupin believe you?" Hannah asked.

"Yes. So we made a pact to find Peter. Whoever found him first got to kill him. I guess the rest is history," Sirius said. 

"Wow," Harry said. He ran his hand through his hair and glanced over at Hannah. She shot him a sympathetic smile.

"Any more questions?" Sirius asked.

"No, I think that's about it," Hannah replied. Harry shook his head to agree with her. 

"Well then, you two should probably be getting back to the castle. It's getting kind of late," Sirius replied.

"Oh look who's talking," Harry laughed. "Like you never stayed out where you weren't supposed to be until all hours of the night when you were in school." Sirius blushed a deep red.

"Guilty as charged," he replied. Hannah released Harry's hand and stood up. She brushed herself off and picked up the broom. Sirius jumped from his chair and extended his hand.

"It was nice meeting you," she said, "And thanks for the interview."

"Always a pleasure," Sirius replied. He kissed the back of her hand again. She turned bright red and started for the mouth of the cave. Sirius turned to Harry. He pulled Harry into another hug.

"Don't let that one get away," he whispered, releasing his godson. Harry replied with a crimson blush and quickly hurried after Hannah. 

"You fly this time," she said, handing him the Firebolt. He took the broom from her and climbed on. She slid on behind them and they took off towards the castle. 

%%%%%

*pop*

"I see you've returned."

"Yes my lord." The black-hooded figure knelt down at the knees of the tall man in the black clock.

"Do you have any news for me." A long scaly hand waved the kneeling figure back into a standing position.

"I was watching the cave like you told me and around 8:30 two figures on a broom flew into the cave."

"And?"

"They were a boy and a girl," the first person replied. 

"Any idea as to who they were?" The Dark Lord asked.

"Judging by the antics on the broom just before they entered the cave, I would guess the boy is Harry Potter. No other student at Hogwarts flies that well." The Dark Lord rested his elbows on the arms of his chair and placed his fingers tip to tip together in front of his face. He tapped them together, starting with the pinkies and ending with the thumbs in quick succession.

"Exxcceelllent," he hissed quietly. 

%%%%%

"That was significantly better than the interview with Snape," Harry said as he and Hannah strolled towards the castle.

"Yes," Hannah agreed. "Are you feeling okay."

"Yes," Harry replied. "I find that it's much easier to talk about them with people like Sirius and Bill Weasley who were friends with them. They can tell me about my parents rather than show me things I never exactly wanted to see." 

"Sirius seemed like a really nice guy," Hannah said.

"He is. I wish they would find Wormtail so Sirius could be free and I could go live with him," Harry replied. He pulled open the door to the castle and held it open so Hannah could enter. She stopped in the center of the Entrance Hall and turned to face him.

"Well, this is where I leave you," she said.

"Yep," Harry agreed. "Goodnight." He pulled her into their usual hug. As she was pulling away, she dropped a quick kiss on his cheek right in front of his ear. His eyes widened. She smiled sweetly at him and waved before running down the stairs towards Hufflepuff. Harry watched her retreating form until she was completely out of sight. Then he reached up and touched the spot where her lips had brushed his face. His face tingled a bit and he knew he was probably bright red. Finally, he uprooted his feet from their spot and started towards the tower. 


	23. Chapter 23

Most if it belongs to JKR. The last line belongs to Shel Silverstein. Anything else is mine. 

Thanks to all those who have reviewed so far. If you would like me to email you when I add another chapter, please leave your email in a review. 

Nat, my beta, ROCKS!!!

That being said:

*****

"CHECKMATE!" Astrid cried. She jumped from her seat and began a quite annoying victory dance around the chess table. 

"You know Astrid, you're really quite insufferable when you do that," Jason scolded from his seat on the opposite side of the chessboard.

"You're only saying that because she beat you, AGAIN!" Sawyer laughed from his spot on the couch. He was hanging over the back of the couch watching his two friends' game.

"GRYFFINDOR QUIDDITCH TEAM!" one of the Weasley twins shouted from just in front of the portrait hole. Both were decked out in full Quidditch garb and holding bats and broomsticks. 

"COMMON ROOM NOW!" The other one cried. Instantly the staircase on the girl's side of the common room began shaking as Alicia, Angelina and Katie thundered down it with Ginny Weasley close on their collective heels. Harry came down the boy's staircase a little slower.

"Where's our bloody keeper?" George asked Harry.

"Harry pointed up the stairs he had just walked down.

"RON! GET YOUR ARSE DOWN HERE!" Fred cried up the stairs. Hermione's head appeared in the fifth year boys' door.

"He's not coming," she announced.

"WHAT!" came the simultaneous roar of the entire team, Ginny, Astrid, Sawyer and Jason.

"He's not coming," Hermione repeated, as if they hadn't all heard her the first time. Harry shook his head in agreement.

"What's his problem?" George asked. He started towards the stairs. Fred was right behind them with the chasers on his heels. Ginny looked over at Astrid and shrugged. The three first years followed the seventh year members of the Quidditch team up the stairs. Ginny followed Astrid, Jason and Sawyer. Harry was right behind Ginny. The eleven teenagers packed themselves into the fifth year boys' dorm and crowded around Ron's bed.

"Guys! We're breaking tons of rules!" Hermione exclaimed when she realized how many people where packed into the boys' dorm, and how many of the assembled group were girls. 

"So THIS is what a boys' dorm looks like!" Astrid exclaimed from the back of the group. She tilted her head up to look around and turned in a circle. Hermione gasped and looked again at the group. She hadn't realized there were first years behind the wall of Quidditch players. 

"Hermione, I'm head girl," Alicia reminded the prefect, "This is an extreme situation. I approve." 

"What's your problem?" Fred asked Ron. Ron was dressed in his Quidditch robes sitting against the headboard of his bed. He had his knees drawn up to his chin with his arms wrapped around them.

"Not going," he muttered.

"WHAT?" Fred asked.

"Not going," Ron muttered again. 

"What do you mean you're not going?" George asked in a voice so quietly evil it almost scared Sawyer and Jason. 

"I'm not going! I'm not going to play," Ron informed them. 

"WHAT!" Chorused the chasers.

"What do you expect us to do?" Fred asked.

"Call in Neville," Ron said. He still hadn't made eye contact with any of them. "Hell, call in Astrid for all I care."

"I'll play!" Astrid cried from the back of the group.

"I don't think so!" Fred and George both said, turning to glare at the little girl. 

"Why aren't you going to play?" Angelina asked. 

"I'm not good enough. You guys have a cup to defend and you won't be able to do it with me on the team. We're playing Slytherin. They have Malfoy. He's fantastic! What am I going to do against him?" Ron rambled.

"Ron! I'm the one that has to worry about Malfoy," Harry said, "Not you. You worry about the chasers."

"You're a damned good keeper," Katie said. 

"Not as good as Wood," Ron replied.

"You haven't had as much practice as Wood," Alicia reasoned. 

"EVERYONE OUT!" Ginny declared from just behind Fred and George.

"What?" the twins asked their sister.

"You heard me, everyone out," she gave the twins a look that showed just how serious she was. The three first years scampered out of the room followed by the chasers. Fred and George went a little more slowly, then Harry and finally Hermione. Hermione shut the door behind her as she left. Ginny jumped up onto the bed next to Ron.

"Okay boy, what's your problem?" she asked.

"I'm not playing," Ron said. 

"We've established that," Ginny said. She flung an arm around her brother's shoulders. "Why?" 

"I don't want to talk about it," Ron said.

"Ron, I'm your baby sister, you can tell me," Ginny said.

"Idunwannalookstupidinfrontofmandy," Ron mumbled. 

"What was that?" Ginny asked.

"I don't want to look stupid in front of Mandy," Ron said, louder and more clearly. 

"Mandy Brocklehurst?" Ginny questioned.

"Yes, Mandy Brockelhurst," Ron said. He still hadn't made eye contact with anyone.

"You're being a great prat because you don't want to risk looking stupid in front of a girl?" Ginny asked. Ron didn't answer. Ginny reached behind her back and pulled out something she had been sitting on. She pulled her wand and placed it to the head of the object she now held in her hand.

"Go, or Ted gets it," she said savagely, waving the teddy bear towards him.

"Ginny! No!" Ron cried. Ginny jumped to her feet and began backing towards the door. Ron began to get up and she increased her pace. Ron followed Ginny and Ginny slipped out the door backwards. She never once removed her wand from the bear's head. She began to back slowly down the staircase. The group assembled in the common room held their collective breath. Ginny made it halfway down the stairs before Ron appeared at the top.

"GET HIM!" Fred and George cried at the same time. 

"_Accio Ron!" _Harry cried before turning and sprinting out of the common room. As the object summoned goes directly to the person who summoned it, Ron whizzed grumpily along behind Harry. At the end of the corridor, Harry started to turn left to head towards the Entrance Hall.

"STOP!" Ron cried, "I'll walk if you'll quit running. You don't need to wear yourself down before the match." Harry instantly stopped and ducked. Ron sailed over his head and smashed into the wall. 

"Bloody hell, Harry!" Fred cried.

"Are you trying to kill him?" George asked. The two boys ran down the hall towards their fallen keeper/brother.

"I'm okay," Ron said, staggering to his feet. He brushed off his Quidditch robes. The three chasers walked quickly behind the twins.

"Are you sure?" Fred asked.

"If he hadn't ducked, I would have crashed into him. Then you'd have an injured seeker and an injured keeper," Ron explained. 

"Well then good for ducking," George said. Ron glared at his older brother.  
"Now that the four of you are through fooling around, may we please go kick some Slytherin arse?" Angelina asked sweetly from behind the boys.

"YEAH!!" Chorused the rest of the team. Fred and George started towards the entrance hall with the chasers in their wake. Harry and Ron fell in line right behind the chasers. Hermione turned to Ginny who had just banished the teddy bear back to Ron's room. 

"How did you manage that? And what was his problem?" Hermione asked.

"Mandy," Ginny replied. "And I simply threatened Ted."

"OOOO!!" Sawyer cried.

"Ron's got a girlfriend!" Jason finished for his friend. Ginny and Hermione leveled glares at the younger boys.

"Shove it," Astrid commanded without even looking at her friends.

"Where is your fourth?" Hermione asked.

"I sent Colin and Dennis down to the field to save the entire crew seats," Ginny provided.

"Who is the entire crew?" Sawyer asked.

"Me, Hermione, you three munchkins, Colin, Dennis, Mandy, Hannah, Ernie, Justin, Chelsea, and Dean," Ginny replied.

"Chelsea?" Sawyer asked.

"Mandrake Chelsea?" Jason echoed.

"Yes, Mandrake Chelsea. Hannah's bringing her along," Hermione said.

"Why?" Jason asked. "I get enough of that girl in History of Magic!" 

"Is she your partner for the project?" Ginny asked.

"Yes," Jason replied grumpily. He ran his fingers through his fuzzy black hair. 

"Is she that bad?" Ginny asked. The five began walking towards the entrance hall.

"Yes," Jason replied.

"Why is Dean sitting with us?" Astrid asked.

"It seems as though little Miss Finnegan is driving him crazy," Ginny explained.

"Karey?" Jason asked.

"No, the other little Miss Finnegan," Astrid laughed.

"What's Dean's problem with Karey?" Hermione asked.

"Ever since she danced with him at the party after the school Quidditch tryouts, she's had a crush on him. It works out because she likes Dean; Hailey likes Seamus, and Madeline. Well. Madeline. I can't say who Madeline likes," Astrid said.

"Harry or Ron?" Hermione guessed.

"Harry," Astrid mouthed to Hermione. Hermione smiled sweetly at the little girl and glanced over her shoulder at Jason and Sawyer. Astrid nodded to let Hermione know that's why she couldn't say the object of Madeline's affection out loud. 

"So why is Dean sitting with us?" Sawyer asked.

"Well, Karey is driving Dean crazy evidently. So Seamus and Lavender and Parvati are taking Hailey and Karey over to sit with Padma in the Ravenclaw stands," Astrid said.

"So Dean is sitting with us or else he'd have to be with Karey?" Ginny guessed.

"Yes," Astrid replied, "Unless of course he has a crush on one of you. In which case, the Karey bit is an excuse." She smirked at Ginny.

"And if he had a crush on Hermione, Fred would rip his face off," Jason supplied.

"So the only logical thing is that he has a crush on Ginny," Sawyer finished.   
"Oh. We'll I've got Braeden," Ginny replied, rather definitively. She missed the simultaneous eye rolls from all three first years. Hermione had to stifle her laughter at the three. 

"So who do you think will win today?" Hermione asked. 

"GRYFFINDOR!" Ginny, Jason and Sawyer chorused.

"SLYTHERIN!" Astrid cried. Ginny, Jason, Sawyer and Hermione all stopped dead in their tracks and turned to look at the littlest Malfoy currently at Hogwarts. 

"What?" She asked, shrugging her tiny shoulders. "They've got Draco Malfoy and we all know that he's the greatest Quidditch player to walk the halls of Hogwarts." She cracked a bright smile and shook her head no as she made her statement. 

"Astrid Malfoy," Ginny exclaimed. Sawyer took a more direct approach and thumped her soundly on the back of her head. 

"Sawyer Lewis, that was completely uncalled for!" Astrid cried. She turned on Sawyer. Sawyer shook his shaggy blonde hair out of his eyes and glared at Astrid. 

"Look, Malfoy!" Jason exclaimed.

"CHIDLREN!" Hermione cried. All three first years turned to look at the older girl.

"The prefect has spoken. Go to the Quidditch pitch and be nice to each other or I'll separate you!" Hermione exclaimed. Sawyer cut his eyes over at Astrid

"I'm sorry, Astrid," he said.

"I'm sorry too," Astrid replied.

"I'm sorry three," Jason cracked.

"Not funny Jason Black!" Sawyer and Astrid cried at the same time. 

"I was amused," Jason said. He pulled open the door leading out of the castle and step through. Instantly he pulled his scarf tighter around his face as the cold November air bit at his cheeks. He instantly picked up his pace a bit, and everyone else followed him.

"Which tower did you tell Colin and Dennis to go to?" Hermione asked, "Since we've got people from so many different houses and everything."

"We'll we're still majority Gryffindor aren't we?" Ginny asked.

"Hannah, Ernie, Justin and Chelsea are the Hufflepuffs. Mandy is a Ravenclaw and everyone else is Gryffindor," Astrid supplied.

"Thank you Astrid," Hermione laughed. Astrid stuck her tongue out at Hermione. 

"Wouldn't it be awesome if Ron held Slytherin scoreless in his first game?" Astrid asked.

"He's really nervous," Ginny replied, "So I don't much see that happening. But as long as Harry catches the snitch, he'll be okay." Jason and Sawyer started up the stairs into the Gryffindor stands with Astrid close on their heels. 

%%%%%

"This is it team," Fred began. He and George stood in front of the Gryffindor team. Ron and Harry sat side by side on a bench while the three girls sat at the feet of the two boys. 

"The big one," George continued.

"The one we've all been waiting for," added Fred. Angelina silently raised her hand.

"Yes?" Fred asked before George could continue the speech.

"That was Oliver's speech. We're a new team, you guys are new captains, we deserve a new speech," Angelina proposed. Alicia and Katie nodded in agreement. Fred and George looked at each other. Fred raised his right eyebrow and George shrugged. They turned to the team.

"Give us a second," George said. The twins instantly put their backs to their team and began whispering.

"Oh no Angelina, look what you've done!" Alicia exclaimed.

"I think this is the hardest I've ever seen the Weasley twins think," Katie said, shaking her head. Her comment earned her a glare from George. Finally, the twins turned around to face the team again. 

"Okay, I think we've got it," Fred said. 

"It's a simple game," George began.

"You hit the ball," Fred said.

"You fly," George added.

"You catch the ball," Fred continued.

"You throw the ball," George finished. They both smiled sweetly at their team.

"Is that it?" Angelina asked. Katie and Alicia both looked warily at the captains. 

"Yes," Fred replied.

"We think so," George added.

"Nothing about kicking Slytherin arse?" Angelina asked. Fred and George looked at each other again, sharing a moment of wordless communication.

"No," George finally said.

"We don't think so," Fred added. 

"We don't want to emphasize winning as much as just playing by the basics," George explained. 

"And if you just remember the basics, then the arse kicking will come," Fred finished. 

"Reasonable," Katie said. 

"Yes," Alicia agreed. Angelina shrugged her shoulders and rolled her eyes. She still though a motivational speech needed to mention something about beating the other team. 

"Lets go you guys," Madame Hooch called from outside the locker room. The Gryffindor team stood up. Ron, Harry and the chasers started towards the door. 

"Hey wait," Fred called. He and George hadn't moved but instead stood with their right hands extended in front of them. Fred's hand rested lightly on top of George. 

"Put your hands in," George instructed. The rest of the team clambered over the bench and circled around Fred and George. Everyone added their right hand to the pile, ending with Harry's on the very top. 

"What do we say?" George asked the team.

"Quack?" suggested Angelina.

"WHAT?" Fred and George both asked.

"Never mind," she replied, shaking her head at the twins.

"Go team?" Harry said.

"Okay, on the count of three," Fred said.

"ONE.... TWO.... THREE...!" George counted.

"GO TEAM!" everyone chorused, and threw their hands up in the air. Fred and George pushed through their teammates and led the way out the door into the tunnel leading to the field. Angelina, Katie and Alicia followed with Ron and Harry in their wake. They took an immediate right and hurried down the tunnel leading towards the pitch. They could already hear Lee Jordan announcing the visiting team.

"I give you Alexander, Warrington, Zabini, Bole, Derrick, Pucey and MALFOY!" Lee said. He didn't sound very enthusiastic at all and only managed to increase his volume for Malfoy because Snape thumped the back of his head. The green-clad Slytherin team rocketed up from their tunnel and flew a quick circuit around the pitch in the midst of boo's from three sides of the stands and raucous cheers from their Slytherins. 

"And now! The reigning Quidditch champions of Hogwarts School!" Lee cried. Fred and George exchanged a quick glance with the chasers. In fact, they did still hold the Quidditch cup because of its cancellation in the previous year.

"I GIVE YOU BELL! SPINNET! JOHNSON! POTTER! WEASLEY! WEASLEY! AND WEEAAASLLLEEYYY!" Lee roared. The seven teenagers kicked off and rocketed around the pitch. Madame Hooch strolled out to the middle of the pitch with the crate of balls under her arms. A shrill blast from her whistle called both teams to the center of the pitch. Malfoy and Harry lined up across from each other on the complete right. Angelina stood next to Harry with Katie on her other side. Fred was next, followed by George. Alicia stood to George's left with Ron on the opposite end. Finley stood next to Malfoy with Blaise to her right. Casey stood directly across from the Weasley twins, and Bole and Derrick tried to line up across from Alicia. Pucey stood just across from Ron. Madame Hooch kicked open the crate of balls. The snitch flew up, circled once around Harry's head and once around Draco's before speeding off towards the Gryffindor goals. 

"Shake hands," Madame Hooch told the two captains. George stepped forward and took Casey's hand in his. The handshake the boys shared looked as though it would result in broken hands for one or both. George finally let go of Casey and Fred stepped forward. The action was repeated and Casey walked away shaking his hand out. 

"I want a good clean game," Madame Hooch instructed. She released the two bludgers and picked up the Quaffle. She tossed the Quaffle straight up into the air. A shrill blast from her whistle signaled all fourteen players to kick off. Ron and Pucey took off towards their respective goals. Finley grabbed the Quaffle first and tossed it to Casey. Angelina easily intercepted the ball and streaked off after Pucey. George and Fred mercilessly cracked Bludgers at anyone who got in her way, effectively clearing the path for the first Gryffindor goal of the game.

%%%%%

"Oh wow, she's scored already," Ginny laughed as Angelina easily flung the Quaffle through the left hoop. 

"That's because she's Angelina," Dean laughed, "She's one of the Gryffindor girls. They're simply the best chasers Hogwarts has seen in quite some time."

"Where are the Hufflepuffs?" Hermione asked Mandy, who had just slid into the seat next to Hermione. 

"They're coming," Mandy replied, "Chelsea tied Ernie and Justin's shoes together and then transfigured the strings into iron. It's taken Hannah a minute to untie them."

"Does she really have to bring Chelsea?" Jason asked as everyone else laughed about the prank Chelsea had pulled. 

"Yes," Mandy said.

"Why? I get enough of that girl in History of Magic!"

"I almost feel sorry for you, I really do," Mandy said, throwing an arm around the younger boy. "But only almost." Jason glared up at the older girl through unblinking brown eyes. 

"Hi everyone!" Hannah exclaimed, taking a seat on the other side of Jason and Sawyer. Ernie and Justin climbed into the second row to sit with Dennis, Astrid, Colin, Ginny and Dean. Chelsea stood apprehensively at the top of the stairs.

"Chelsea," Jason and Sawyer greeted solemnly.

"Jason and Sawyer," Chelsea replied. Astrid slid towards Dennis to make a space between herself and Dean. 

"Come on, Chelsea. Ignore those great gits. You can come sit up here with me," Astrid offered, kicking Sawyer and Jason both soundly in the seats of their pants. Chelsea easily climbed over her two housemates, and slid past Dennis to take the offered seat on the other side of Astrid. A loud gasp from Hermione made every head turn towards the field. A bludger headed straight towards Fred. He was facing the other side of the pitch so he missed the great iron ball hurtling towards his head. Hermione reached over and sank her nails into Mandy's arm. 

"YEEEOWWWW!" Mandy screeched, loud enough to draw the attention of everyone in the box and even a few of the players on the pitch. Fred happened to be one of the players. He turned just in time to see the bludger and roll sideways on his broom to prevent grievous injury to his face.

"Wow, I saved him!" Hermione laughed as her boyfriend struggled to upright himself on his broom.

"No, I think Mandy saved him with that shout loud enough to wake the dead," Jason said, rubbing his ear. Mandy leveled a glare through tear filled blue eyes at the little boy. 

"Mandy," Justin warned, reaching down and placing a hand on her arm.

"He didn't know," Hannah said over the two first years. Jason instantly bent over and grabbed his right foot. He pulled it up to right in front of his face. He opened his mouth and began trying to make the two meet.

"What, may I ask, are you doing?" Ernie asked.

"Trying to literally put my foot in my mouth since I seem to have already done it in the figurative sense," Jason replied. The boy's antics quickly diffused the situation. 

*****

After an hour and a half, the score stood at Gryffindor, 140, Slytherin, 0. Ron had played a spectacular game, stopping most every Quaffle thrown at him by the Slytherins. Luckily, the few he had let by missed the goals anyway. The snitch hadn't yet made even a fleeting appearance. Harry and Draco circled the pitch from above, Draco trailing Harry tightly. Suddenly, when Harry and Draco were above the Slytherin goal posts, a flutter of gold appeared at the base of the Gryffindor goals, just below Ron. Harry and Draco noticed it at about the same time and shot off towards it. Harry was a bit ahead of Draco and they were flying at a breakneck speed. Neither noticed the three beaters closing in on the two of them. Everyone in the stands held their collective breath. With only a meter to go before the snitch, the beaters finally closed in. Malfoy did an impressive roll to his right. Derrick and Bole swept right over him and crashed into Harry with a sickening crunch. Harry flew off of his broom and landed on the pitch several meters away. Luckily, he hadn't been very high off the ground, and was unhurt save a big grass stain on his Quidditch robes and a scrape on his right hand. Fred Weasley was the closest Gryffindor player to the fallen seeker, but rather than check on Harry, he delivered a blow to Bole's shoulder with his beater bat. Madam Hooch's whistle rang out just as Draco's outstretched hand closed around the snitch. Draco held up the snitch for her to see, but no one cheered. Every person on the Quidditch pitch and in the stands turned to look at the diminutive witch as she landed into the middle of the stands. She quickly pulled out her wand and did a sonorous charm on her voice.

"Draco Malfoy has caught the snitch, giving Slytherin 150 points." She announced. The Slytherin stands erupted into raucous cheers. Their team had finally beaten Precious Potter and the Gryffindors. "HOWEVER!" Madame Hooch's voice cut through the cheering. "As I blew the whistle just before Malfoy caught the snitch, the teams will be allowed to have their penalty shots. Gryffindor gets two penalty shots while Slytherin gets one. Gryffindor shoots first!" 

"Holy shit," Jason muttered.

"Jason Black!" Hermione cried. Jason glared at her.

"If Ron blocks the Slytherin shot and Angelina makes both of the Gryffindor shots, we could still win," Sawyer muttered.

"What makes you think Angelina will take the penalties?" Hermione asked. She was met by glares from everyone seated around her, including the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaw. 

"Angelina is the best bloody chaser in Hogwarts right now," Hannah explained. Sure enough, Angelina had flown to meet Madame Hooch at the center of the field. 

"Will you be taking both shots for Gryffindor?" Hooch asked. Angelina nodded and held out her hands to accept the Quaffle. 

"On the sound of my whistle," Madame Hooch instructed. Angelina turned to face Pucey. Madame Hooch sounded a shrill blast on her whistle. Angelina flew straight towards Pucey. She began flying towards the right goal, so Pucey moved over to protect that goal. Angelina flew right up to the goal before quickly transferring the ball to her left hand and flinging it through the center hoop. 

"10 Points for GRYFFINDOR!" Lee screeched. The Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw stands erupted in cheers as Angelina flew back towards Madame Hooch. Madame Hooch summoned the Quaffle and handed it back to Angelina.

"On the sound of my whistle," Madame Hooch said again. She blew the whistle and Angelina started towards Pucey again. This time she flew directly at him, not committing to any of the three goals. Pucey, nervous about being scored on for the 16th time in one game, moved to the left goal because that was the goal Angelina had just chosen. She had the ball tucked under her left arm. When Pucey committed to the left goal, Angelina grabbed the Quaffle with her right hand and slung it through the right goal. 

"GRYFFINDOR LEADS, 160-150!" Lee Jordan screamed. He was almost drowned out by the cheers from the three non-Slytherin houses. 

"TEAM MEETING!" Fred cried. The Gryffindors circled around their captains. Alicia and Katie had almost abandoned their brooms in favor of jumping on Angelina's in a fierce three-way hug.

"Angelina, that was fantastic," George said. He pushed the other two chasers away and dropped a kiss soundly on his girlfriend's lips. 

"Okay you guys, we're in the lead, but only by a shot," Fred announced.

"Really now?" Katie asked. 

"Shove it, Bell," George spat. The twins turned to face your youngest brother.

"It's all up to you now, Ron," Fred said. Ron turned bright red and urged his broom backwards away from the group.

"You can do it," George assured him.

"No I can't," Ron said shakily. 

"Look Ron, it's really simple," Harry said. "Catch the Quaffle or die trying." Ron's face cracked into a crazed grin. 

"You're an absolute nutter, Harry Potter," he said before flying off towards the goals.

"Is he suicidal?" Fred asked. "Catch the Quaffle or die trying. Seriously Harry, where did you come up with that?"  
"Who cares? It made Ron decide he can do the job," George laughed. Fred glared at his younger brother.

"And it will be our collective arse if he gets hurt." George flinched at the thought of an irate Molly Weasley. The entire team turned to face the center of the field. Casey Warrington had stopped beside Madame Hooch in the center. Ron flew over and tapped the left side of the left goal and the right side of the right before positioning himself in front of the center. Casey took the Quaffle and turned to face the youngest Weasley son. Ron brushed his hair out of his face and removed both hands from his broom. Madame Hooch blew her whistle. Casey started towards Ron. He instantly moved to Ron's left, so Ron moved in front of that goal. Casey stayed with the left goal. A few meters from Ron, he transferred the ball to his other hand, just as Angelina had and began to sling it through the right goal. Ron dived to block the shot and Casey hooked the ball back towards the right goal. Ron had already committed to protect the center goal. At the last possible second, he wrenched his abdominal muscles and back and twisted his body back towards the left goal. 

"Oh no," muttered Astrid, clamping both hands to her mouth. Hermione and Mandy held hands, neither noticing the fingernails digging into her palms. 

"We've lost," Dennis muttered. Colin shook his head in agreement. Dean's eyes widened. Jason and Sawyer both clambered to their feet and leaned towards the front of the box. Ernie and Justin instinctively reached out and pulled the younger boys back into their seats, never taking their eyes off of the proceedings on the field. Chelsea had attached herself to Hannah's head out of fear of the situation. Hannah clamped both hands over her mouth and tried to shrug Chelsea's arm away from her eyes. She finally succeeded in peeking out from under Chelsea's elbow. 

Ron twisted violently back towards the Quaffle. He stretched his hands out and lunged towards the ball. His fingertips barely brushed the Quaffle. The momentum caused by his turn threw him completely off balance and he tumbled from his broom. The Quaffle continued to travel directly towards the goal as Ron spiraled towards the pitch. Fred, Harry and George all raced to catch him. 

_CLANG_!!! The heavy Quaffle made contact with the goal post and ricocheted left, making the shot wide. Ron landed flat on his back on the pitch with a dull thud. Harry, Fred and George all tumbled off their brooms, only moments too late to catch their fallen friend/brother. Harry and George knelt to Ron's right while Fred crouched on his left. 

"Oh no," Astrid muttered again, surveying her friend's motionless form from her spot high in the Gryffindor stands.

"HE'S DEAD!" Mandy shrieked. Tears began pouring down her face. 

"RON!" Ginny screamed. Hermione disentangled herself from Mandy and jumped to her feet. She headed towards the stairs with Ginny and then Astrid close on her heels. Hannah instantly leaned over Sawyer and Jason and threw her arm around Mandy.

"He's not dead," Hannah assured her.

"He's dead!" Mandy cried again. "First my father, then my mother, now Ron!" 

"So THAT'S what I said wrong," Jason finally clued in. Sawyer whacked the back of his head. Jason placed a small hand on Mandy's knee.

"Rather than sit up here and cry, why don't we got sit outside the hospital wing and wait for them to take him there?" Jason asked, trying to be helpful. Mandy looked down at the boy.

"You're a genius!" she said. She jumped up and started towards the stairs, Hannah, Jason, Sawyer, Chelsea, Ernie and Justin hot on her heels. Hermione, Ginny and Astrid sprinted across the field towards the fallen Weasley. McGonagall, Dumbledore and Snape came running from the other side. McGonagall and Dumbledore pushed George and Harry out of the way. They knelt down next to the boy. McGonagall reached for Ron, but Dumbledore pushed her hands away.

"Hermione," he called, "now is the time to put into use what you've learned in your lessons with Madame Pomfrey." Hermione's eyes widened and her jaw drop as she crouched down next to her boyfriend. Fred laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. 

"Albus," McGonagall began. Dumbledore silenced her by raising his hand. Hermione quickly scanned Ron for signs of broken bones bleeding. She saw none, so she leaned over and placed an ear at his mouth and nose. She looked down at his chest. His chest was still, but a thin stream of air cooled her ear so he was breathing. 

"What do you propose we do?" Dumbledore asked. 

"Well. It looks as though he's taken a hard fall on his back. It's simply knocked the air out of him and also knocked him unconscious. I propose we immobilize him to prevent any further injury to his back and take him to Madame Pomfrey," Hermione said in a rush. She pulled out her wand and did a quick immobilizing spell on her friend.

"Perfect, Hermione," Dumbledore said. "You are now fully ready to travel with the Quidditch team." Fred leaned over and dropped a kiss on her cheek. Dumbledore pulled out his own wand and levitated the immobilized Ron onto a stretcher McGonagall conjured. McGonagall started towards the castle, floating the stretcher along in front of her.

"Well, Gryffindor. Congratulations on the first win of the season," Dumbledore said. Fred and George both turned on Harry.

"Bloody Hell, Potter," Fred spat.

"What do you think you're doing?" George asked.

"Catch the Quaffle or die trying," Fred mimicked. 

"It looks like he heeded your advice," George exclaimed.

"It wasn't Harry's fault," Angelina said, stepping in front of her boyfriend. She looked to Hermione to control his twin. Hermione stepped over to Fred.

"I was scared when you almost got hit by that bludger," she whispered, looking up into his big blue eyes. He looked down at her and brushed a wisp of brown hair off of her forehead.

"I'm sorry baby," he said. He dropped a kiss on her nose. She frowned at him. He leaned in and kissed her lips. 

"Earth calling Fred and Hermione!" George called.

"Come in Fred and Hermione!" Angelina added.

"I think we need to go see about our keeper," Alicia said. She turned and led the way to the castle. Katie, George and Angelina followed her closely. Fred threw a loose arm around Hermione and they followed the rest of the team. Harry and Ginny fell into line behind Hermione and Fred. Hermione felt a soft hand entwine in the one she didn't have around Fred's waist. She looked down into the earnest gray-silver eyes of Astrid. 

"Is he okay?" Astrid asked hopefully. Hermione smiled at the little girl ruefully.

"I don't know Astrid. He's alive, so Madame Pomfrey should be able to mend him right up," Hermione said. Astrid nodded and looked down at her feet. In truth, Ron was one of her favorite people. He had always ignored the fact that she was several years younger than him and his friends and tried to make her feel included. She wondered if her transition into Gryffindor would have been quite as smooth if the tall redhead hadn't been there acting as the big brother she'd been missing for several years. She left her hand wrapped in Hermione's and the older girl squeezed it slightly, trying to be comforting. The procession proceeded towards the hospital wing in silence. Only when they reached the door of the hospital wing and found Hannah and Mandy waiting did anyone speak.

"Is he okay?" Mandy asked. Her eyes were puffy and red and her face had dusty tear-trails. 

"He should be," Hermione replied, "Unless he's got an injury to his spine." Mandy gasped and clasped her hand to her mouth. Ginny slid down the wall to sit next to her. She threw her arms around the girl's shoulders and looked over her head at Hannah. When she had Hannah's gaze, she looked pointedly at Harry. Harry stood silently against the opposite wall. His left arm was crossed protectively across his body and he had his right elbow at his left hand. His forehead rested in his right hand. Hannah slipped away from Mandy and headed over to Harry. She leaned up against the wall next to him. He peeked out from under his hand and smiled softly at her. She placed her hand on his forearm.

Astrid looked up at Hermione and Fred again. Fred reached over and tousled the little girl's hair. She scowled at him.

"Okay baby Draco, that's enough of that," Fred laughed. Astrid flashed her typical Draco smirk at the seventh year. Professor McGonagall appeared in the door of the hospital wing.

"He's fine," McGonagall announced.

"But he can only have," her sentence was cut off by the surge of people rushing towards the hospital door to see Ron. Katie and Alicia pushed through the door first followed by the Weasley twins pulling their respective significant others. Fred and Hermione also had Astrid. Mandy tripped up off of the floor and almost tripped over Astrid and Ginny was close behind her. Hannah looked up at Harry again. He quickly laced his fingers through hers and they walked into the room. Ron was in the farthest bed, the one usually occupied by Harry. He was propped up on a large stack of pillows, still dressed in his Quidditch robes. The twins and the chasers framed the bed, all five screaming about how "bloody brilliant" Ron's save had been. Mandy, Ginny and Hermione gathered at the foot of the bed on either side, worrying that the team was causing too much excitement for the injured keeper. Astrid had dragged a chair up behind the team and was standing on it, vying to get a glimpse of her friend. Harry and Hannah stepped into position at the bottom of the bed, finally completing the ring of friends around Ron's bed. 

"Is it contagious?" George asked, staring down at his brother. Angelina whacked him the back of his head with the back of her hand.

"I stopped it," Ron said weakly when he saw Harry. Harry smiled at him.

"And you didn't die trying," he laughed.

"You were absolutely fantastic!" George crowed.

"You had a shut-out in your debut!" Fred cried.

"That last stop was bloody amazing!" Katie said, patting Ron on his shoulder. 

"You're alive," Mandy added her contribution to the joyous exclamations pouring down on Ron. Astrid jumped again, trying to see over George and Angelina. 

"You're going to hurt in the morning," George laughed. 

"I don't see what's so amusing about that," Ron said. Astrid jumped again, finally barely seeing Ron. She opened her mouth to call attention to herself, but quickly shut it again as Hannah, Ginny, Mandy and Hermione launched into a tirade about the absurdity of what Ron did at the end of the game. She jumped again, to no avail. When her last attempt wasn't successful, she climbed down from her chair and dragged it back over next to the other bed. She quietly turned and left the room, completely unnoticed. Shortly after Astrid left, Madame Pomfrey made her way out of her office.

"OUT!" she roared. The ten teenagers fell silent and turned to look at the hospital's matron. 

"This boy needs rest. You can see him when he comes back to the tower in the morning," she insisted. Slowly Ginny and Hermione started away from Ron, wishing him a quick recovery. Hermione tugged Fred away. Ron raised his eyebrow at Harry and Hannah's entwined hands and the two quickly separated. Harry smacked Ron hard on his foot as the pair started away from the bed. George patted his brother's shoulder and started away from the bed with Angelina in tow. Katie and Alicia each ruffled Ron's hair before following the exodus, leaving Mandy standing at the bottom of the bed. She walked up and stood next to Ron.

"Feel better, okay?" she said.

"Okay," Ron agreed. Mandy leaned over and dropped a kiss on his sweaty forehead. 

"Bye," she whispered, patting him on his shoulder.

"Bye," he replied, fighting unsuccessfully to hide the blush creeping over his cheeks. Only then did he realize he hadn't seen Astrid in his group of visitors. 

*****

The eight Gryffindors entered the common room to a chorus of cheers from the rest of the house. Everyone had gathered in the common room to greet the team. Dean had drawn a makeshift banner of Ron's final save and another of Fred hitting Bole with his bat. Fred yelled for Lee to get out the Wireless and the twins disappeared back out of the portrait hole. Lee set up the radio in the corner and couples slowly straggled on to the dance floor. Jae Lucas pulled Sawyer into an ungainly fast dance. Seamus swung Madeline wildly about the common room. Karey started towards Dean, who in turn almost sprinted to Ginny.

"May I have this dance?" he asked, holding out his hand to her.

"Certainly," she replied, placing her hand into his. Karey stood back looking quite dejected. Hermione raised a quizzical eyebrow at Harry.

"Maybe she's realized Braeden is in France and she's here so she might as well enjoy herself," Harry suggested.

"Maybe," Hermione agreed, "because I know they still owl each other and don't tell her, but he may be coming in for the holidays." Harry smiled at his friend.

"Mr. Harry Potter Sir?" a small female voice squeaked. Harry looked down to see the tiny form of Evelyn Creevey.

"Yes Evelyn?" he asked.

"Willyoudancewithme?" she rushed. 

"Certainly," Harry replied. He followed her onto the floor and began an equally ungainly dance next to Jae and Sawyer. Jason and Natalie McDonald spun crazily around the dance floor. Dennis Creevey carefully approached Karey Finnegan. Angelina started a crazy dance with her little sister Hailey that was neither in time with the music or comprised of dance steps that anyone had ever seen. Lee Jordan and Marissa Lucas stood wrapped in each other's arms, right in the middle of the dancers swaying slowly to a tune playing only in their heads because the real music was very upbeat. Fred and George returned laden with snacks and sweets. They dumped their spoils onto the chess table and went to find their girlfriends. When Hailey protested at Angelina being pulled away, George pointed her in the direction of sixth year Kyle Burns. Hermione jumped into Fred's arms. He planted a kiss soundly on her lips. She threw her arms around his neck and jumped out of his grip. She kicked her shoes off and pulled him towards Lee and Marissa. At least next to the other couple, it didn't look so obvious that Fred and Hermione only slow danced. Harry finished his dance with Evelyn Creevey and she squeaked her thanks and scampered off to find Nathan. Neville and Parvati made their way onto the dance floor in what looked like an attempt by Parvati to teach Neville to dance. Lavender and little Charlie Lawson spun next to Seamus and Madeline. Lavender quickly spun Charlie off towards Madeline and claimed Seamus for herself. Astrid watched the entire proceedings from a perch near the top of the stairs leading towards the girls' rooms.

*****

Forty-five minutes later, Lee and Marissa had retired to... somewhere. No one wanted to follow them. Fred and Hermione still slow danced in the middle of the group along with George and Angelina. Jae Lucas and Kyle Burns were curled into each other's arms. Katie, Alicia, Leah, Dani and Coltan were sitting in one corner engrossed in a game of Exploding snap. So far, Coltan and Dani had singed off their eyebrows. The first years save Astrid and Nathan had retired to a corner and a raucous game of Gobstones. Dennis, Colin, Nathan and Neville all sat on one couch, re-living the match play by play. Ginny and Dean sat on the window seat, deep in a conversation about something. Lavender and Seamus had turned one of the armchairs to one wall and had disappeared into their little haven. Harry had wandered towards his dorm about thirty minutes into the party. Astrid still sat at the top of the stairs. She hadn't danced with anyone, and in truth, no one had even really acknowledged her absence. She slowly stood up and headed up to her dorm. She opened the door and headed over to her trunk to get her journal. While pawing through the trunk, her eyes fell on a thin green book and an idea formed in her mind. She grabbed the book and hurried out of the room. She slipped unnoticed out of the common room, since one prefect was occupied with her boyfriend, one prefect was in his room, one prefect was in the hospital wing, and the head girl was extinguishing Leah's eyebrows. 

*****

The door of the hospital wing creaked open. Ron looked over to see who was entering. Madame Pomfrey had retired to her room for the night, leaving Ron with the instructions to ring the bell on his bedside table if he needed anything. Ron smiled broadly when he saw a small blonde head appear through the crack in the door. Astrid carefully looked towards Madame Pomfrey's office before heading over to see her friend.

"What are you doing here?" Ron asked. Astrid dragged her chair back to his bedside and stood on it. She reached over and plumped the pillows under Ron's head.

"I've come to fix your pillows. When you're hurt, you ought to have someone fix your pillows," she announced with a smile.

"Thank you Miss Malfoy," Ron replied. Astrid toyed with his pillows a few more moments until she was satisfied they were fixed. Then she reached down to his bedside table and picked up her book.

"Now scoot over," she instructed. 

"What?" Ron asked.

"You heard me," Astrid replied. With a bit of difficulty due to the beads of pain ripping through both his back and his stomach, Ron slid to the complete left of his bed. Astrid carefully crawled into bed next to him and laid flat on her back. She pulled her knees up to create a space to lay the book. She laid the book over her knees.

"My mum used to read this to me when I was little," she said as she opened the book to the first page. 

"'Once there was a tree.'"


	24. Chapter 24

I promise I'll give them back to JKR when I'm done. 

My beta, Nat, ROCKS. She has a note at the bottom of the story.

Denotes a letter 

Denotes happy thoughts 

Denotes unhappy thoughts 

That being said:

*****

"Students, may I have your attention please?" Dumbledore asked from his seat at the head table one Thursday night at the end of dinner. He rose and faced the hall full of students. 

"After the success of last year's Yule Ball, we have decided to continue the tradition this year. The ball remains for fourth years and up, although younger years may attend if invited by someone fourth year or older. We are, however, going to move the date of the ball so that you may go home and spend time with your parents. The ball will be held on December 19th. The train home for winter holidays will leave December 20th." Dumbledore announced. A ripple of general excitement ran through the older students, while the younger student's feigned disinterest. In fact, all of the little girls were excited at the prospect of the older girls getting ready for a ball. 

"Ooh, Hermione, what color are your dress robes?" Astrid asked just after Dumbledore sat down. Hermione flashed a sly smile at Astrid. 

"Not telling," she replied, glancing over at Fred. Fred instantly jumped to his feet and dropped down on one knee behind Hermione. He tapped her on her shoulder. She spun around to face him.

"Miss Hermione Granger?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied.

"Will you provide me with the honor of being your date for the Yule Ball?" Fred asked loudly. Most of the Gryffindor table and quite a few of the Ravenclaws had turned to look at Fred.

"Why certainly," Hermione replied. Fred jumped up and flung his arms around Hermione. She quickly returned his hug and he took his seat next to her amid cheers from some of the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws. Ron and Harry exchanged a quick eye roll. 

"Now that my date has been taken care of, who are you boys going to ask?" Hermione replied. Ron looked over at Astrid.

"Hey Astrid, what do you say to a Yule Ball?" Ron asked, jokingly.

"I say get your arse over to the Ravenclaw table and ask Mandy Brocklehurst," Astrid replied with a glare. Ron turned bright red and looked down at his plate.

"Rejected by a first year!" George crowed.

"Man Ron, that's an all new low," Fred laughed. Ron looked down the table at all of the Gryffindor girls.

"Do you think Alicia would go with me, just as friends?" Ron asked.

"That would be great!" Harry cried. "Then I could go with Katie!"

"MANDY AND HANNAH!" Astrid insisted in a fierce whisper. The boys ignored the first year. 

"Don't you boy's have Charms homework to do before tomorrow?" Hermione asked her two friends. Harry and Ron both nodded and began to stand up.

"What do you think we're doing?" Ron asked. "Flitwick said it was a combination of a Charms and Defense practical that he didn't think any of us would be able to do."

"So what's the point of teaching us?" Harry asked as he trailed Hermione out of the Great Hall. Ron was close behind both of them. 

"He only told us to research cheering charms and make sure we could perform those very well," Ron said. 

"Any ideas encyclopedia Granger?" Harry joked. Hermione smacked Harry lightly in his stomach. 

"OOOWWWWW!" Harry howled as if Hermione's hit had hurt him. Ron pulled his wand and turned to his friend. He fired off a cheering charm and Harry was instantly happier.

"Do I really need to work on my charms homework?" Ron asked. 

"I think he's got it DOWN!" Harry cried, a little too cheerfully. 

"Is there anything we can do to counteract that charm?" Hermione asked, glaring at Harry who was on the verge of skipping up the stairs. 

"I think you've got to wait until it wears off," Ron replied. 

"WOOHOO!" Harry cheered as he jumped up the stairs.

"Thank you, Ron," Hermione laughed. She and Ron followed Harry, albeit less enthusiastically. 

"No problem," Ron laughed.

"I'm not working with you tomorrow in Charms," Hermione declared. "I don't want to end up like that." She pointed to Harry who was grinning broadly at his friends from the top of the stairs.

"Hey Harry, who are you taking to the Yule Ball?" Ron asked.

"Jae might be a fun date," Harry replied. He was walking with a very odd spring to his step, so he was almost bouncing down the corridor. Hermione clamped her hand to her forehead and shook her head. 

"Hey, just because you've got a date already doesn't mean you have to be like that about our lack of dates," Ron spat.

"I'm just saying you may want to get on the asking bit quite quickly unless you want a repeat of last year," Hermione said.

"He can't have a repeat of last year, Fleur's not here!" Harry cried. Ron shot him a glare quite possibly meant to kill, but Harry, in his ridiculously cheerful mood, didn't notice. 

"Cho's got a boyfriend," Ron spat. If Harry heard Ron, he was too happy to respond. 

"Ron, leave him alone," Hermione said, "It's actually your fault that he said anything to begin with."

"How is it my fault?" Ron asked.

"You WERE the one to hit him with the cheering charm," Hermione reminded him.

"Oh, right." Ron shook his head. "How long do you think it'll take that to wear off?"

"How strong did you make the charm?" Hermione asked. Ron shrugged. The pair quickened their pace to keep up with Harry, who had just disappeared around a corner. 

"Well, it could take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour," Hermione laughed. 

"Oh NO!" Ron cried, dropping his forehead into his hand.

"What's the problem Ronnie?" Harry cried, running back around the corner towards his friends. 

"You, psycho," Ron laughed. Harry shrugged and headed back in the other direction.

"I do believe you over did THAT charm," Hermione said.

"Look at me," Ron instructed. Hermione paused and looked straight at Ron's face. He was attempting to look as serious as possible. 

"Does this look like happy face to you?'"

"No," Hermione giggled. Ron managed a half smile.

"That's what I thought. I know I overdid the charm." Ron muttered. Harry had finally bounced to a stop in front of the fat lady.

"Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!" Harry cried. The fat lady rolled her eyes and swung her frame open. 

"I'm strangling your brothers the next time I get my hands on them," Hermione declared as she and Ron followed Harry into the common room. Harry had actually dived over the threshold and done a somersault when he hit the ground on the other side. Hermione fell onto the couch in front of the fire, while Ron chased Harry up to their dorm to collect their charms materials. 

"How long do you think it will take them come to their senses about the girls?" a familiar voice asked from the other end of the couch Hermione was resting on. Hermione looked down at Ginny.

"Good question. I just hope Ernie and Justin don't decide to take Mandy and Hannah before Harry and Ron decide to obtain some testicular fortitude and ask them," Hermione laughed. 

"Hopefully Harry will be able to ask Hannah pretty soon. Did you notice that they were holding hands the night Ron got hurt?" Ginny asked.

"Yep," Hermione laughed. "But I wouldn't say anything to either of them because I don't think they realize anyone but Ron noticed."

"Like it wasn't obvious!"

"Well. They're cute though," Hermione laughed.

"That, they are," Ginny agreed.

"Who do you think you'll go to the ball with?"

"Um, I figure I'll hang out with Astrid and Dennis and Jason and Sawyer that night. I don't want to go if Braeden can't take me," Ginny replied.

"Virginia Eirene Weasley!" Hermione exclaimed. 

"What?" Ginny asked innocently.

"You're not going to the Yule Ball because the boy who isn't even your boyfriend is in France and can't take you?" Hermione asked.

"Something to that effect, yes," Ginny replied. 

"That's absolutely the most ridiculous thing I think I've ever heard!" Hermione cried. 

"I miss Braeden," Ginny said simply.

"So you're telling me that if someone asked you to the ball, you would say no simply because Braeden is in France?" Hermione asked. 

"Well, mostly," Ginny replied.

"Mostly?"

"There is this one guy," Ginny began.

"Who?" Hermione queried.

"I don't much want to tell you. You are Braeden's cousin after all," Ginny laughed.

"Oh like I'm going to tell him. The most I ever hear from him are the messages he tells you to give me," Hermione laughed.

"I'm still not saying," Ginny replied.

"It's not Harry is it?" 

"Me liking Harry is almost the same as me liking Ron or Bill," Ginny laughed. "He's like the extra brother I never particularly wanted." 

"I'm glad you finally realized that," Hermione said. Ginny picked up a throw pillow and whacked Hermione over her head with it.

"Gin, you've really been hanging out with Astrid Malfoy way too much."

"What about Astrid?" the first year in question asked as she, Jason and Sawyer crawled through the portrait hole.

"We were just discussing how annoying you are," Ginny replied calmly. 

"That, I am!" Astrid said with a sly smile. Jason and Sawyer headed off towards their dorm while Astrid simply pulled out her wand. "_Accio school bag!"_

"Someone's been hanging out with Mr. Potter too much," Hermione laughed.

"He's used that one enough on me that I convinced him to teach it to me," Astrid explained as she caught her school bag. Hermione and Ginny both smiled down at the little girl.

"Speaking of Mr. Potter."

"He and the youngest Mr. Weasley are in their dorm looking for their charms supplies," Hermione said before Astrid could finish her question. "Ron hit Harry with a Cheering Charm and now he's bouncing off the walls. Almost literally."

"But only almost, right?" Astrid asked, raising an eyebrow at Hermione.

"Yes," Hermione laughed. Astrid swung her bag over her shoulder.

"Going somewhere?" Ginny asked.

"Jason has to meet Mandrake Chelsea in the library to work on their project. He's making me and Sawyer tag along because she drives him so absolutely crazy," Astrid explained.

"You don't think she likes him do you?" Ginny asked.

"Nope," Astrid replied. "I personally think she wants Sawyer." 

"Really now?" Hermione asked. 

"Yes," Astrid replied with mock seriousness.

"Do you think the girl will ever grow out of the name Mandrake Chelsea?" Ginny asked.

"No," Hermione and Astrid both said.

"Poor kid," Ginny replied, shaking her head. 

"Astrid!" Harry called, running down the stairs from his dorm. He sprinted over to the little girl and picked her up. He began spinning crazily about the common room with her in his arms.

"You Know!" Astrid called as he spun. "I think Ron's cheering charm may be either a little strong or a little broken!" 

"We figured that out about the time he started skipping down the hall," Ron said from the bottom of the stairs.

"Someone wanna do something to SAVE ME!" Astrid cried. Hermione quickly summoned the Charms book Harry hand just dropped. She paged through it, found the spell she was looking for, pulled out her wand and fired it off at Harry. The spell hit Harry squarely in his back. He instantly stopped and turned to face Hermione with Astrid still in his arms.

"What was that?" Harry asked.

"A spell to counteract that cheering charm Ron subjected you to," Hermione replied. 

"Why am I holding you?" Harry asked Astrid. 

"You felt like spinning me around the room like an absolute goof," Astrid replied stoically. She ran her hands over her disheveled blonde hair in an attempt to smooth it. Harry promptly returned Astrid to the floor. She straightened her robes and glared at Harry.

"Don't let it happen again, Potter."

"Maybe you should tell Ron, he's the one who hit me with that off the wall charm," Harry laughed. Astrid spun and glared at Ron.

"Don't let it happen again, Weasley."

"What are you going to do if it does?" Ron asked. Astrid smiled sweetly at Ron.

"Wouldn't you like to know!" she said, and she skipped out of the portrait hole to follow Sawyer and Jason. 

"And somehow, that scares me more than anything she could threaten me with," Ron said, sinking down into the chair across from Hermione and Ginny's couch. Harry calmly walked over and stretched out in front of the fire.

"Hermione, can you teach me that charm so if Ron does that to someone else tomorrow I can be prepared?" he asked. Ron glared angrily at him.

"Gin, do you think Jae would go to the ball with me?" Harry asked, purposefully ignoring Ron. 

"Nope," Ginny replied.

"Why not?" Harry asked.

"Because I say you're not allowed to ask her until you know for sure that you're not going to go with Hannah," Ginny explained. 

"There is no way I can go with Hannah," Harry replied.

"Harry man, Hannah is simply the most gorgeous witch in our year and you're not asking her?" Ron asked. He pulled out his wand, pointed it as their room, and muttered a quick spell.

"I CAN'T!" Harry cried. 

"Why not?" Hermione asked.

"I simply can't," Harry whined. Ron caught a piece of parchment and unfolded it. He surveyed it for a moment before standing up.

"That's good," Ron replied.

"It is?" Harry asked.

"Yep," Ron said.

"Why?"

"Cause if you're not going to ask her, I certainly am!" Ron cried. He dropped the parchment and tore towards the portrait hole.

"BLOODY HELL!" Harry screamed. 

"You waited," Hermione pointed out.

_"ACCIO MAP"_ Harry screamed. The piece of parchment Ron had been holding jumped into Harry's hand. Harry surveyed it for a moment before throwing it down and sprinting after Ron.

"What do you think that's about?" Ginny asked as the portrait hole snapped shut behind Harry. Hermione quickly summoned the parchment. She glanced over it.

"Well, it looks as though Hannah and Mandy are up near Trelawney's room. Ron is headed that way at a high rate of speed with Harry a little ways behind him," Hermione laughed. 

"Oh my," Ginny laughed. Hermione rolled her eyes. 

"So which guy besides Braeden would you go to the Yule Ball with?"

"Leave it alone, Hermione. I'm not telling and he probably won't ask me so you'll never know!" Ginny cried. 

"Way to be positive there," Hermione laughed.

"Well," Ginny said defensively.

"Is it Seamus?" Hermione guessed.

"No, he's stuck up Lavender's butt."

"Kyle Burns?" 

"I think he actually may be considering asking Jae," Ginny explained. 

"Um. Lee Jordan."

"Marissa Lucas," came Ginny's decisive reply.

"Really?"

"Yes. They've been together since before the Slytherin Quidditch match," Ginny laughed. 

"I know who it is!" Hermione cried.

"Really now, who is it?" Ginny asked.

"COLIN CREEVEY!" Hermione crowed.

"Oh yes. I want Colin Creevey's sexy body!" Ginny deadpanned. 

"That's good to know," Colin said. He slipped into the chair Ron had just vacated. Ginny and Hermione erupted with nervous laughter in Ginny's case and howls of laughter in Hermione's.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Gin, but I'm thinking of asking Cheyenne Williamson."

"Your History of Magic partner?" Ginny asked.

"Yep," Colin replied. 

"Will she want your sexy body?" Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow at Colin. 

"Oh yes," Colin purred. 

"AAHHHH!" Hermione cried, covering her head with both hands.

"Kidding, Hermione," Colin laughed. "Cheyenne and I are just friends."

%%%%%

Ron skidded to a stop right in front of Hannah and Mandy.

"Hey girls!" he exclaimed.

"Hey Ron," Mandy said. She stepped over next to him.

"How are you?" Hannah asked.

"I'm doing really well," Ron replied.

"Who are you taking to the Yule Ball?" Mandy asked. Hannah's jaw dropped at the forward ness of her friend's question. 

"Actually, its funny you ask that," Ron said. He glanced over at Hannah. "I was just thinking about a date, and Hannah, I was just wondering if." Mandy's face fell. Hannah's eyes widened and she glanced over at her friend. 

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" came a vicious scream from the end of the hall. Before anyone could figure out exactly what was going on, Ron was lying a good three meters away from the girls, face in the stone floor. Harry had sprinted down the hall and dived on Ron, pushing him to the floor. Harry quickly turned over and sat on Ron's legs to keep him pinned to the floor. He looked up at Hannah and smiled.

"Now then," Harry said. The two girls laughed nervously. Harry pushed his hair off his forehead, making the front stick up in an entirely cute way. He adjusted his glasses and looked at Hannah again.

"Hannah, will you go to the Yule Ball with me?" he asked. He still hadn't moved from Ron, so he couldn't see the sly smile on his friend's face. 

"Of course!" Hannah said. She held out her hand to Harry. He took it and stood up. Ron rolled over and climbed to his feet.

"Mandy, I'm quite sorry about that," Ron said. He draped an arm around the other girl's shoulders. She shrugged his arm off. 

"No really. It was the only way we were going to make Harry get enough guts to ask Hannah before the day before the ball. I had no real intention of going with her," Ron explained. "That being said, will you go with me to the Yule Ball?"

"Certainly!" Mandy said, smiling up at Ron and stepping closer to him. He put his arm back around her shoulders. 

"You had no intention of going with me?" Hannah asked. 

"Well," Ron considered his option for a moment. "Well no," he finally replied. "No offense to you or anything, but I think that certainly would have made Harry mad."

"Like you've worried about making me mad before," Harry muttered.

"What was that?" Ron asked, his arm still comfortably around Mandy's shoulders. 

"Nothing!" Harry replied with a broad smile. He carefully took Hannah's hand.

"AAAWWWWW!" Mandy cried. Harry and Hannah instantly quit holding hands. 

"No no!" Mandy insisted, "As you were." She waved at their hands, motioning them to rejoin them. With vicious glares in Mandy's direction, Harry and Hannah slid their hands back together. 

"Much better," Ron laughed. Harry and Hannah turned their glares on the tall redhead. 

"You two are so cute!" Mandy squealed. Harry and Hannah rolled their eyes at her. 

"So where were you girls heading?" Ron asked.

"The library to work on our Divination homework," Mandy explained.

"We'll walk you there then," Ron announced, looking pointedly at Harry. He spun Mandy gently by her shoulders and started down the corridor. Harry and Hannah started after them. 

%%%%%

"Oooohh," Hermione muttered.

"What's happening?" Ginny asked. She leaned over to where Hermione was sitting to look over the older girl's shoulder at the Marauder's map. 

"Look there," Hermione said, pointing at the Divination hallway. Ginny looked closer.

"Harry and Hannah's dots are almost together, as are Ron's and Mandy's," Ginny cried.

"Exactly," Hermione said. "Just before this, Ron's dot was turned towards Hannah's dot, but then Harry's dot came flying down the corridor and the Ron and Harry dot's ended up stacked on each other a little ways away from the girl. And then the dots got really close."

"What do you think this means?" Ginny asked.

"I hope it means the boys have dates to the Yule ball!" Hermione cried.

"If they do, I'm quite proud of them!" Ginny said.

"Yes. This was much easier than last year, although I do wonder about Harry apparently tackling Ron," Hermione laughed. 

"Boys will be boys," Ginny said.

"Now about the boy you want to ask you to the ball," Hermione said, turning to her younger friend. 

"NOT TELLING!" Ginny insisted.

"Why not?" Hermione asked. 

"Cause you'll tell Braeden!" Ginny cried.

"I WILL NOT!" Hermione exclaimed. 

%%%%%

"Well, I guess we leave you here," Ron said, stopping outside the library.

"Thank you for walking with us," Mandy replied. She gave Ron a quick hug. They both turned to Harry and Hannah. Harry and Hannah dropped hands and turned to each other. Hannah threw her arms around Harry's neck. Harry wrapped his around her waist. Her back was to Mandy and Ron so she dropped a quick kiss right in front of his right ear. They quickly let go of each other and turned back to their friends. Mandy pulled the door of the library open and turned to Hannah.

"Shall we?" she asked, holding out her arm.

"We shall," Hannah replied, linking her arm through Mandy's. The two girls headed off into the library, both turning to wave at the boys just before the door closed. 

"Did she kiss you?" Ron asked.

"How did you know?" Harry replied.

"Your face is bright red. If you and Hannah are going to have a secret relationship, you really need to get that blushing under control," Ron instructed. 

"We don't have a secret relationship. Hell, we don't even have a relationship!" Harry insisted.

"And you call holding hands when you think no one is watching and kissing each other goodbye not a relationship?" Ron asked.

"Not hardly," Harry replied. 

"You're only fooling yourself there," Ron said. Harry glared at him. "And of course, you're only hurting yourself." Ron turned and started back towards the Gryffindor common room. Harry followed after him a bit slower.

*****

"Good morning!" Harry exclaimed, sinking down into a seat at the Gryffindor table between Ginny and Ron.

"Did Ron hit you with another cheering charm?" Astrid asked, raising an eyebrow at Harry. 

"Nope," Harry replied, helping himself to a piece of toast. 

"Then what's your problem?" Astrid asked. Harry glared at the little girl over his toast.

"You know, it would be a lot easier to be scared if you didn't have bread hanging out of your mouth," Astrid quipped. 

"'Hove I-h, baby Mawfowee!" Harry spat around his toast. Astrid rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue at the older boy. 

"Pig brought this for you," Hermione said, tossing Harry a letter before he could jump across the table at Astrid. Harry caught the letter and unfolded it. He only vaguely noticed the Weasley children gathered around a letter from, presumably, Molly. 

_Harry,_

_ Thanks for your letter. Have you asked Hannah to the Yule Ball yet? She seems like a very sweet girl. As far as your questions about the interview. Well. Remus still suspected me, but he didn't put two and two together until after I had already left. He decided later that I had done that to trick him into not capturing me. It was such a rough moment for all of us, he wasn't really thinking clearly. As far as Peter's finger. I'm not sure exactly which spell blew his finger off to tell you the truth. I tend to think it was the one I fired simply because he used the killing curse on the street, and it's very hard to put the killing curse on your self. _

_ I will see you over Christmas at the Weasleys'. I'm going to be present for Bill and Bella's wedding as my loveable stray self._ _I guess this is all for now. I hope these answers help. Write back. Don't use Pig again. And apologize to Ron for me. Tell him I'm sorry for buying him such a nut ball of an owl._

_ S._

Harry folded the letter and put it in his bag to show to Hannah later.

"Sweet!" Fred cried from across the table.

"What?" Harry asked.

"I get to bring Hermione to the burrow over Christmas!" he cried.

"Too late babe, I'm already going with Ron," Hermione laughed.

"Ah, whatever. You'll be there!" Fred laughed, throwing his arm around his girlfriend.

"I get to bring Angelina!" George cried.

"BLOODY HELL!" Ron screeched. Astrid, Fred, George, Hermione, and Harry all turned to look at the youngest Weasley son.

"Percy and Penelope eloped!" Ron cried.

"Where do you read that?" Fred asked, yanking the letter from Ron's hands.

"Bottom paragraph, right before she signed it," Ron said. Fred scanned the letter.

"I don't believe it!" he exclaimed. 

"Read it," George urged.

"Oh, by the way, you have a new sister-in-law. Percy and Penelope eloped the second weekend of November because Percy wanted to beat Bill at something." Fred read. 

"That's." Hermione paused for a moment, considering the rest of her statement. "Very interesting. What did she mean about Percy wanted to beat Bill at something. I thought Percy was the family genius."

"Not hardly," George laughed, "Bill is much smarter than Percy, but his work ethic is rotten, unless he's doing something he loves. Bill did as well as Percy in school, and from what Charlie and Arabella tell us, only did about half the work Percy did." Hermione's jaw dropped. 

"I heard he lived in the library," Harry said. 

"Bill has always been one for quiet. With the original marauders in the common room, I doubt he got very much of that in the common room, so he made it his mission to read every book in the Hogwarts library." Fred explained. 

"How far did he get?" Hermione asked. 

"Um, I'm not really sure."

"How is reading not studying?" Ron asked.

"The type of studying Percy did was for class. Bill just read for the hell of it," George explained. 

"Reasonable," Ron consented. 

"Shall we go to class?" Hermione asked. Flitwick had just left the head table and started out a side door. Harry and Ron picked up their bags.

"I'll take that as a yes," Hermione laughed. She dropped a kiss on Fred's cheek and started towards the door. Harry and Ron trailed along behind her.

"Have either of you boys figured out what we'll be doing?' Hermione asked.

"Nope," Harry said.

"Have you?" Ron questioned. 

"I have a theory," Hermione replied.

"Really now," Ron laughed. 

"Yes," Hermione said. 

"What's your theory?" Harry questioned. 

"I'm not telling in case I'm wrong," Hermione replied.

"You have that much of a fear of being wrong?" Ron asked.

"Something to that effect," Hermione admitted. 

"Why didn't we ask the Hufflepuffs or Mandy?" Ron asked. "They have charms on, I think Wednesday and maybe Tuesday."

"That would have made sense had you thought about it pre now," Harry laughed. Ron glared at him. Harry quickly ducked into the charms classroom before Ron could say or do anything else. Hermione followed him and Ron stomped after the two of them. Harry and Hermione slid behind a table in the front row. Ron took a seat behind Harry and Parvati sat next to him. Seamus and Lavender sat to Hermione and Harry's right with Dean and Neville behind them. Tiny Professor Flitwick scampered into the class and up to the front. He hopped up onto his stack of books and looked around at his students.

"Good, you're all here, we can go ahead and get started a few minutes early," Flitwick squeaked. "As I told you last week, today's lesson will be practical. Did all of you practice up on your cheering charms?" The members of the class all nodded. "Good, good. The charm we are going to attempt to learn today is a fairly effective charm for warding off evil. It is more advanced than your O.W.L.S., but Dumbledore asked me to attempt to teach it. I highly doubt any of you will have any success with the charm. Because of this, there is a reward of 100 points to anyone who can do it correctly. The only person in the other three classes who even managed to slightly perform it was Draco Malfoy."

"Draco performed a spell to ward off evil?" Ron asked Parvati in a whisper. She had to stifle her laughter. 

"Do any of you know what charm I'm talking about?" Flitwick asked. Hermione's hand shot into the air.

"Yes Hermione?" Flitwick asked.

"Is it the Patronus Charm?" Hermione guessed. 

"Yes!" Flitwick squeaked. A sly smile crept across Harry's face. Hermione glanced over at him guiltily, and Ron's jaw fell open. 

"This spell is mostly effective in warding off dementors. The basic principle of the spell is to think of the happiest thought you can come up with and say the spell while concentrating on the specific happy thought," Flitwick explained. "However, when faced with a dementor, this is especially difficult because of the nature of the creature." Lavender's hand shot into the air.

"Lavender," Flitwick called.

"Dementors are the things that guard Azkaban and that were here during third year, correct?" Lavender asked.

"Yes," Flitwick replied. "They survive off of bad feelings. So to practice with today, I have a boggart. We have forced it to turn into a dementor and Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall froze it as a dementor. They also rendered it incapable of kissing anyone. As for the spell itself, the incantation is _Expecto Patronum. _You must say this while aiming your wand at the creature and thinking of the happiest thought you can summon. This will cause a silvery white form to spring from the tip of your wand and run down the dementor, giving you time to get away." Parvati raised her hand.

"A silvery white form?" she asked.

"Yes. When you've produced a good Patronus, the form will have a definite shape. If you all will remember a few years back at the Quidditch match, Professor Lupin fired a Patronus at Draco Malfoy and a few of his friends. His Patronus happened to be a stag." Ron, Harry and Hermione tried to keep their laughter under control.

"You're not going to tell him?" Hermione asked.

"Hermione, if you told a teacher every time you already knew how to do something, you'd never have to go to class," Harry pointed out.

"True," Hermione reasoned.

"So class, repeat after me!" Flitwick called. "Expecto Patronum."

"Expecto Patronum," everyone chorused. 

"Alright then. I suppose the best plan would be for you to come up one at a time to face the dementor. Remember your happy thoughts and say the incantation. If you don't seem to be able to produce the patronus, I will hold the dementor back until the next person can come up. You will go in alphabetical order by last name. That mean's Lavender, Seamus, Hermione, Neville, Parvati, Harry, Dean then Ron." Flitwick instructed. He stepped over towards a cabinet on one side of the room. "Lavender, if you would please step to the front of the room." A quick flick of his wrist and his desk slid to one side of the room, giving Lavender a place to stand. Lavender shakily walked to the center of the room. Flitwick placed his hand on the handle of the cabinet and turned to Lavender. "Do you have your happy thought?"

"Yes," Lavender replied. Flitwick opened the cabinet and the faux dementor stepped out. Flitwick jumped back and the dementor instantly honed in on Lavender. Lavender closed her eyes and pointed her wand at the creature.

"_Expecto Patronum"_ she squeaked. A puff of white smoke escaped from her wand. It did nothing to stop the advancing dementor. 

"_Accio dementor!" _Flitwick cried. The dementor flew towards him. He ducked and it landed inside the cabinet with a loud thud. He quickly shut the door.

"Nice try Lavender," Flitwick said, "There is a basket of chocolate on my desk. Take a piece and head back to your seat. Seamus, you're up." Seamus stood and took Lavender's spot at the front of the room. 

"Are you ready?" Flitwick asked. Seamus swallowed hard and then nodded. Flitwick opened the cupboard. The dementor again stepped out and then started on Seamus. Seamus pointed his wand at the dementor, fiercely determined to do better than Lavender had.

"_Expecto Patronum!"_ he cried. A jet of white shot out of his wand and instantly dropped to the floor. It morphed into a tiny leprechaun before dissipating. Flitwick quickly summoned the dementor back to its closet. 

"Good job Seamus! Your leprechaun comes in second only to Mr. Malfoy's bear cub. But I do question the effectiveness of a leprechaun on dementors." Flitwick said. Seamus smiled sheepishly.

"Go have some chocolate. Hermione, it's your turn." Hermione stepped to the front of the room and faced the cupboard. She instantly closed her eyes and summoned the happiest thought she could think of. Over the summer, when Harry and Ron had been at her house, the three had fallen asleep on her bed. Jo had left them alone, and Hermione credited that as her happiest memory.

"Ready?" she heard Flitwick ask. She nodded and tried to steady her wand. The cupboard creaked open and instantly her blood ran cold. An image of her Grandfather's funeral followed shortly by Draco Malfoy sneering "mudblood" ran through her head. She fought to replace those images with the thought of her two best friends.

"_Expecto Patronum!" _She said. It hadn't worked. She had done better than Lavender, but not quite as well as Seamus. Flitwick summoned the dementor back to its cupboard.

"Nice try Hermione," he said. She smiled and quickly walked towards the chocolate.

"Neville!" Flitwick said. The pudgy blonde boy stepped uncertainly to the center of the room.

"Ready?" Flitwick asked. Neville nodded uncertainly. "Are you sure?" Flitwick asked. Neville nodded again, no more certain than he had been before. Flitwick eased the cupboard door open. The dementor charged out. Neville shakily pointed his wand at the creature.

"_Expecto-Expec!" _he said shakily. Then his wand clattered to the floor and he opened his mouth in one of the most blood curdling screams anyone present had heard. 

"_ACCIO DEMENTOR!" _Flitwick squealed. The dementor smashed back into the closet. Flitwick quickly shut the door and ran over to Neville. Hermione also approached Neville. The boy shakily sat up. Hermione instantly handed him a piece of chocolate. He gratefully stuffed it into his mouth. 

"I think you should go see Madame Pomfrey!" Flitwick advised.

"I'll walk him!" volunteered Lavender. She still looked quite shaken up by her encounter with the dementor. Flitwick helped Neville to his feet and handed him off to Lavender. She helped the boy out of the classroom. Hermione returned to her seat and Flitwick returned to the cabinet. 

"Parvati!" He called. Parvati stepped up to the center.

"Ready?" Flitwick asked.

"Yes," Parvati replied. Flitwick eased the door open. Parvati didn't close her eyes but instead pointed her wand directly at the dementor and shouted the incantation. The patronus she produced was comparable to Hermione's. Flitwick quickly summoned the dementor back into the cupboard. Harry rose unsteadily to his feet.

"Harry!" Flitwick called as Parvati headed over to his desk for her chocolate. Harry stepped confidently into the middle of the class.

"Are you sure you want to try this?" Flitwick asked, imagining what effect the dementor would have on the boy. 

"Yes sir," Harry responded solidly. 

"Are you ready?" Flitwick asked. Harry closed his eyes and pulled up a mental image of Hannah saying yes to the Yule Ball and then kissing him goodbye. He forced the scene to play over and over again in his head.

"Yes sir," He whispered. He heard the cupboard squeak open and the dementor step out. He felt ice water running through his veins.

**"Stand aside you silly girl**_"_

"Yes Harry, I'll go to the ball with you!" Hannah jumped up and kissed him on his cheek. He pulled his wand and pointed it in the direction of the cupboard.

_"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" _Harry roared. The familiar white stag sprang from his wand and charged down the Dementor. Harry vaguely heard his entire class collectively gasp behind him. He heard a loud thud and the door of the cupboard swing shut, so he finally opened his eyes. 

"Harry?" Flitwick asked.

"Yes?" Harry replied.

"You just produced a very effective Patronus," Flitwick said.

"Yes," Harry agreed. "Professor Lupin taught me during my third year because dementors have such an effect on me." 

"100 Points to Gryffindor!" Flitwick squeaked. "Do you think you could do that again?" Harry summoned a piece of chocolate and popped it into his mouth. 

"Sure," he mumbled around the chocolate. Flitwick stepped back beside the cabinet. Harry closed his eyes and started the image of Hannah saying yes again. Flitwick opened the cupboard. Harry felt the familiar cold fall around his body. He heard his mother scream and instantly replaced it with Hannah's soft voice saying yes.

"_EXPECTO PATRONUM!" _The dementor flew back into the cupboard once again. Flitwick slammed the door shut.

"FANTASTIC HARRY!" he cried, before Harry had really even opened his eyes. Harry smiled and headed for the chocolate bowl. "Dean!" Dean had about as much success with the charm as Parvati and Hermione had, so he ran to the chocolate and Ron stepped up to try his hand at the new charm. He closed his eyes and tried to come up with a happy memory. The one thing that popped into his head was Astrid sitting in his hospital bed next to him. He could hear her voice easing through the words of the well-worn book she held on her knees. 

"Ready?" Flitwick asked. Ron concentrated on the sound of Astrid's voice and the story it was telling. The cabinet creaked open and the dementor came out. Ron instantly felt cold and visions of the spiders in the forest from his second year flew into his head. 

"Once there was a tree," came Astrid's voice, but the vision of the spiders was too powerful.

"_Expecto Patronum!" _he cried, as he managed to bring Astrid's voice back over the spider's clicking pincers.

"Good job!" Flitwick cried as he shut the door on the dementor. Ron opened his eyes. "You produced a minipatronus much like Seamus, but it takes on quite an unusual form."

"What is it?" Ron asked.

"A CAR!" Harry howled. "The old blue car to be specific!"

"Shut up Mr. Perfect Patronus Potter!" Ron growled. Harry smiled sweetly.

"You kids are dismissed for the day. For the next class I want a two feet long essay on your happy thoughts." Flitwick said. Everyone scrambled for their books. Hermione followed Ron and Harry out of the room.

"What were your happy thoughts?" she asked.

"Hannah saying yes to the Yule Ball," Harry admitted. Ron rolled his eyes and Hermione smiled at him.

"And yours was Mandy saying yes?" Hermione guessed.

"Actually no, it was Astrid's visit after the Quidditch match," Ron admitted. He had told his friends what the younger girl had done for him.

"That is SO cute!" Hermione cried. Ron blushed bright red. 

"What was yours?" Harry asked.

"The night we spent in my room this summer," Hermione said, slinging an arm around each of her friend's waists. The boys each wrapped an arm around her shoulder and the trio headed off to lunch. 

Beta's Note: I've got a theory, it could be witches, some evil witches… Which is ridiculous cause witches they were persecuted wicca god and love the earth and woman power and I'll be over here… bum bum bum… Oh, Hello! Sorry. I tend to burst into Buffy musical at strange times. It's all hippie chic's fault though. If she'd watch the show, then she'd know these triggers. Anyway, Congratulations are in order for Miss HermioneG, who has just become my new first mate on the HMS Red Dwarf. There are still other positions open. Come visit on our group. It's lonely.


	25. Chapter 25

            "So what color are your robes for the Yule Ball?" Hermione asked Hannah as the two girls wandered around Gladrag's Wizard wear exactly one week before the Ball. 

            "Blue," Hannah replied. "I know that's not very Christmas-ey, but mum and I agreed that they were definitely the best color for me." Hermione surveyed the wall of socks in front of her. Harry had sent the two of them in for socks for Dobby. They both secretly suspected he was buying Christmas presents for one or both of them.

            "What shade of blue?" Hermione questioned.

            "Royal," Hannah replied. "Evidently that matches my eyes." She rolled her eyes a bit and picked up a pair of acid green socks. 

            "I think he already has some that color," Hermione laughed. Hannah placed the socks back on the shelf.

            "What color are your robes?"

            "Well, I've pretty much kept it a secret from everyone in Gryffindor, so you have to promise not to tell anyone," Hermione began.

            "It's that big of a deal?" Hannah questioned.

            "Not really. It's just amusing to watch them squirm and try to figure it out," Hermione laughed.

            "Well, I won't say anything," Hannah promised.

            "They're green," Hermione said.

            "Green?" Hannah asked.

            "Yes, green," Hermione laughed.

            "As in Slytherin green?" Hannah asked.  

            "Just a shade darker. Go figure. That would be the color that works best with my complexion," Hermione laughed. 

            "What'll Harry and Ron say when you show up to the ball wearing Slytherin green robes?"

            "Ron wore maroon last year. He has no room to talk," Hermione replied.

            "What colors are the boys wearing?" Hannah questioned.

            "I do believe they've both chosen basic black this year," Hermione said. "What can I say, they're not incredibly original."

            "Harry's robes last year looked really nice on him," Hannah said.

            "Yes, but would bottle green look good with your royal blue?" Hermione questioned.

            "Good point," laughed Hannah. 

            "What color is Mandy wearing?" Hermione picked up a pair of socks depicting tiny wizards on broomsticks zooming around. 

            "Light purple," Hannah replied.

            "That should look really good on her, although it may clash with Ron's bright red hair," Hermione laughed. 

            "Can you think of anything that matches Weasley hair?" Hannah asked.

            "Okay, good point," Hermione said.

            "What color is Ginny wearing?" Hannah questioned. 

            "Well, her dress robes are sage, but as to whether she'll be wearing them or not has yet to be seen," Hermione laughed. Hannah held out a pair of bright red socks with large polka dots that alternated between blue, green and yellow.

              
            "She isn't going?" Hannah guessed.

            "Not as of yet," Hermione replied, taking the socks from Hannah and examining them closer. "She's disappointed because Braeden is in France and she's here so she can't take him."

            "That's really sweet in a kind of odd way," Hannah laughed.

            "I personally think she shouldn't wait around for him, but they seem to be as happy as two people in an odd long distance relationship can be," Hermione said. 

            "Do you think he's being as faithful to her as she's being to him?" Hannah asked.

            "I really couldn't tell you. While Braeden is my cousin, we didn't really start talking until this past summer. Before, we rarely ever saw him and when we did, he and his brothers were always gigantic jerks," Hermione explained.

            "He has brothers?" Hannah asked.

            "Yes. His older brother, Ben, is 18, and the younger brother, Brantley, is 12."

            "Ben, Braeden and Brantley?" Hannah asked.

            "Yes. Their mother is a psychopath," Hermione laughed. "Do you think these are enough socks?" Hannah looked down at the pair of red socks and the pair with the wizards on broomsticks.

            "Probably, but have we given the boys enough time to shop for us?" Hannah laughed.

            "Probably. They're guys, how long do you REALLY think they'll take?" Hermione said. Hannah shrugged at her friend and started towards the counter at the front of the store. 

            "Have you bought their presents yet?" Hannah asked.

            "Not yet, and I have no clue what to get either of them," Hermione laughed. "Luckily Astrid gave me explicit instructions on what to buy Ron."

            "Astrid's buying Ron a present?" Hannah asked.

            "Yes," Hermione replied. "I think she gave me the money for Ron's, Harry the money for mine, Ron the money for Ginny's and Ginny the money for everyone else's since she's to young to come in to shop for herself."

            "That's really kind of cute," Hannah laughed.

            "She's a pretty cool little kid," Hermione agreed.

            "Too bad her brothers are such pricks," Hannah spat, rolling her eyes. Hermione nodded in agreement. 

            "So do you know what you're getting Harry?" Hermione asked.  

            "I'm getting him a book," Hannah replied.

            "Really? Which one?" Hermione questioned.       

            "It's sort of dumb, but at the same time meaningful," Hannah began.

            "Which one is it?" Hermione interrupted.

            "The Giving Tree," Hannah replied. "I know that sounds weird, but I think he'll really appreciate it."

            "I'm sure he will," Hermione agreed, even though she didn't quite understand the significance of the book.

            "And then I think I'll get Ron candy."

            "That'll make you the hero of the day." Hermione laughed. "The boy has a bottomless pit for a stomach!" She handed the witch at the counter a few coins to pay for the socks. 

*****

            "Do you think she'll like it?" Harry asked nervously. He held up a plain black picture frame. 

            "What are you going to do to it again?" Ginny asked, surveying the frame. 

            "I was planning on charming the frame to look like the night sky, and then having Colin to take a picture of the two of us together at the Yule Ball to put in it," Harry replied.

            "That's absolutely fantastic!" Ginny squealed. "It's just enough to show that you put thought into it, but not so much that you look overly obsessive. It shows you care."

            "Okay then," Harry laughed.

            "And what are you getting Hermione?" Ron asked. Harry held up a plain black book full of blank parchment.

            "I thought that's what Astrid was getting her," Ron replied. 

            "Well, it's a joint gift from Astrid and me. Astrid's buying the book. I ordered her an Eagle quill a while back.  Then I'm going to charm the book to do something sort of like Hannah's picture frame and to have an unlimited amount of pages. Then I'm going to charm the quill to never run out of ink and the quill to stay inside the book. To top it all off, the book will only open to Hermione's touch," Harry explained.

            "That is great, and insanely thoughtful of you and Astrid," Ginny squealed. "But you should probably hurry up and pay for it, Hannah and Hermione just left Gladrag's.(Check the lexicon)" Both boys hurried to the counter with their purchases. Ron had chosen a book for Hermione entitled 101 Spells You'll Probably Never Need. Ginny glanced down at the large Honeydukes bag in her hand. Her present for Braeden, a pair of Leather keeper gloves, had taken most of the money she had allotted to Christmas shopping. Fortunately, her friends understood, and she was sure they would be quite happy about the candy she had chosen for each of them. 

*****

            "Bertie Bott's or Chocolate Frogs?" Mandy asked, looking between the two boxes of candy in her hand.

            "It's Ron, I really don't think he'll care as long as it's edible," Ernie laughed.

            " And nothing says 'I want you' more than a box full of candy that either jumps or is scary to eat," Justin quipped.

            "You could always go with a Honeydukes gift certificate," Ernie suggested.

            "And THAT really says 'I want you, NOW!'" Justin laughed. Ernie and Mandy both glared at him. "What? I'm just saying this isn't necessarily the best store in which to shop for presents for the person you want to get with!" 

            "And where would you suggest, Mr. Finch-Fletchley?" Mandy asked. 

            "Not Honeydukes!" Justin replied. 

            "He DOES like Quidditch," Ernie said. 

            "Yes, he does, but that's unoriginal!" Mandy exclaimed.

            "And Candy isn't?" Ernie asked.

            "A picture frame!" Justin said suddenly.

            "What?" Mandy and Ernie both asked.

            "A picture frame. Buy a picture frame. Charm the edge to do something cool. Get that annoying fourth year who is taking Cheyenne to the ball to take a picture of the two of you to put in the frame, and voila, you have the perfect present!" Justin explained.

            "Justin, you're a genius!" Mandy cried. She pushed her way past Ernie and threw her arms around Justin. 

            "Thank you, I try," Justin laughed, pulling away from the girl. 

            "And I'll get a chocolate frog to tie to the top of the wrapping," Mandy said. She took a chocolate frog as well as the candy she had picked out for Harry and Ginny to the front counter.

            "I think she finally gets it," Justin laughed. Ernie rolled his eyes and followed Mandy to pay for his purchases. He, too, had picked out candy for the Gryffindors save Hermione. He figured a book would be a better present for her. Justin shook his head at both of his friends and went over to wait by the door. 

*****

            "Come on you guys, we're supposed to meet Mandy, Ernie and Justin at The Three Broomsticks for lunch!" Hermione exclaimed as she and Hannah stepped into the store. Ron and Harry instantly held two bags behind their backs, guilty looks crossing both of their faces.

            "And we have Christmas presents from the two of them," Hermione laughed. She pulled the door open and held it for Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hannah to pass through. She followed and the five friends began walking down the street towards the pub.

            "OI, HERMIONE!" they heard a familiar voice yell from just behind them. They all turned to see Fred running towards them with George and Lee in tow.

            "Where are you headed?" he asked, catching up with his girlfriend, little brother and sister and their friends. He carelessly tossed his arm around Hermione's shoulders.

            "We're headed to The Three Broomsticks to meet the rest of our group," Ginny replied.

            "Really now?" George asked, "We were just headed there to meet Angelina and Marissa ourselves. Who are you going to meet?"

            "Mandy, Ernie and Justin," Harry replied.

            "And Colin," Ginny added.

            "You invited Colin?" Ron asked.

            "Just for lunch," Ginny replied. "He was shopping with Jae this morning, but then Jae is having lunch with Dean, Seamus, Lavender and Kyle, so Colin asked if he could have lunch with us."

            "Oh," Ron said.

            "So why don't you guys have lunch with us?" Hermione asked Fred, George and Lee.

            "Are Angelina and Marissa invited too?" Lee asked.

            "Of course," Hermione laughed.

            "Okay then," Lee replied happily, looking at both of the twins.

            "Of course," Fred replied, pulling Hermione closer to him. This elicited a round of "AWW'S" from Hannah and Ginny. Fred turned on the two girls.

            "I thought the two of you were over that," he said.

            "Astrid and I are, Hannah and I are not," Ginny replied. Fred stuck his tongue out at both of them. Hannah returned the gesture.

            "Really mature there both of you," Harry laughed. Hannah playfully smacked him in his stomach.

            "MMAAARRRIIISSSSSSSAAA!!!!" Lee shouted. He broke into a run down towards The Three Broomsticks, Marissa, and Angelina.

            "Is he always like that?" Ron asked as the group watched Lee sprint down the road towards his girlfriend.

            "When he and Marissa have been separated for more than twenty minutes, yes," George laughed.

            "It's rather pathetic," Fred agreed. 

            "And who was the one who made us sprint from the Shrieking Shack a moment ago because you thought you saw Hermione?" George asked. Both Fred and Hermione turned bright red.

            "Hush, George," Fred commanded. 

            "Where is my 'ANGELINA!' and run down the street?" Angelina asked her boyfriend as the group drew closer to the two girls and now Lee. 

            "ANGELINA!" George shouted and ran over to Angelina. At the last second, he jumped and dove into her arms. 

            "I thought this was supposed to be the other way around," she insisted as she spun George crazily about the street. The entire group laughed and Angelina returned George to his feet.

            "Is it alright if we eat with the fifth years so Fred can have lunch with Hermione?" George asked his girlfriend.

            "Sure," Angelina replied.

            "I don't mind as long as my dumb sister isn't with them," Marissa agreed.

            "Jae is having lunch with Dean, Seamus, Lavender and Kyle," Ginny replied.

            "Has Dean gotten up enough guts to ask his girl to the Yule Ball yet?" Marissa asked. The confused looks on everyone but Angelina's faces gave her the only answer she needed.

            "Guess not," she laughed.

            "So let's go then," Angelina said, turning towards the pub.

            "We're waiting on about four more people still," Harry replied.

            "Who?" Angelina asked.

            "Mandy, Justin, Ernie and Colin," Ginny replied.

%%%%%

            "Come on you guys, we've got to meet the others at the Three Broomsticks two minutes ago!" Mandy exclaimed, looking at her watch.

            "Calm yourself Miss Brocklehurst, I'm certain they won't eat all of the food by the time we get there," Justin laughed. 

            "I don't know, Justin, Ron Weasley is with them," Ernie cracked. Mandy's face brightened visibly at the mention of Ron's name but then she glared at the pair.

            "That's what it is!" Justin cried.

            "Mandy's anxious to see her Ickle Ronniekins!" Ernie supplied.

            "I bet Ron wishes Harry had never taught you two that nickname!" Mandy spat.

            "No, I think Ron probably wishes Fred and George had never come up with that nickname," Justin corrected.

            "Well, you boys are so busy making fun of my Yule Ball date, but I certainly don't see either of you with dates!" Mandy cried.

            "Amanda Princeton!" Ernie insisted. He and Mandy turned to look at Justin. He shrugged.

            "Elise Midgen, Eloise's sister," he admitted.

            "At least her nose is on-center," Mandy joked.

            "We're just friends," Justin explained.

            "Sure!" Mandy and Ernie both laughed. The three friends turned down the street the Three Broomsticks was on.

            "Do you see them?" Justin asked, pushing his bleach-blonde hair away from his forehead.

            "Yeah, I think they're down there," Mandy said. Sure enough, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Harry and Hannah, as well as Fred, George, Lee, Marissa, Angelina and Colin Creevey were gathered in front of the pub.

            "And it looks like our group has expanded considerably," Ernie laughed.

            "Who are all of those people?" Justin asked.

            "Finally!" Ron exclaimed on sight of the approaching trio. 

            "He finally gets to eat!" Harry laughed.

            "I'm finally not the only non-Gryffindor in the group!" Hannah cried.

            "We'll introduce everyone when we sit down," Harry muttered, turning towards the entrance of the pub. The other 13 teenagers followed Harry. 

            "What do you mean 14 of you want to sit together?" Madame Rosmerta asked when Harry asked about a large table for the entire group.

            "Well, if it's not too much trouble," Harry began.

            "Since it is you kids, there is a big table in the basement. Take the stairs between the bathrooms. I'll send down 14 butterbeers and 14 plates of fish and chips momentarily," Madame Rosmerta said. She turned to a pair of Goblins in the corner who were complaining loudly about the price of ale.

            Harry led the way to a narrow staircase at the back of the pub. He quickly ran down the stairs and pushed open the door at the very bottom. He entered a small room filled almost completely by a round stone table. Harry quickly started around the left of the table. Ron moved to the right. Mandy tried to follow him but Angelina and then George jumped in her way. She ended up wrangling a seat between Ernie who was on George's left and Lee. Hannah followed Harry with Ginny and Colin in her wake. Justin tried to follow Hannah but ended up sitting between Colin and Fred. Hermione sat to Fred's right and Marissa sank into the seat between Hermione and Lee, completing the circle. 

            "Well now, does everyone know everyone?" Hermione asked.

            "Nope!" Marissa announced.

            "Wait, wait, wait!" Lee cried, "I can do this because of Quidditch announcing!" Everyone looked at him expectantly. He pointed at Harry. "Harry, Hannah, baby Weasley, Colin, Justin, Fred, Hermione, Marissa, Lee, Mandy, Ernie, George, 'Lina and Ron!"

            "Impressive, Lee!" George exclaimed. Lee jumped to his feet and took a deep bow. When he sat back down, Marissa rewarded him with a kiss on his cheek.

            "Speaking of Quidditch, how about last week's match?" Colin asked with a nervous laugh. Hermione, Hannah, Ginny, Mandy, and Marissa all groaned while the members of the Quidditch team, Ron included, looked positively ready to crawl through the table. No one particularly wanted to relive the specifics of the match against Durmstrang.

&&&&&

            "Bloody HELL!" Fred cried, stomping into the locker room a scant five minutes before the match was supposed to start.

            "Hello there to you too, Gred," George laughed. 

            "Where have you been?" Oliver asked.

            "I've spent the last half hour trying to figure out who put the ruddy Slytherin Quidditch robes where my team uniform was supposed to be!" Fred exclaimed. The rest of the Gryffindors looked down with dismay at the green robes they were wearing. 

            "At least they're trimmed in gold!" Fred muttered, sinking into a seat next to Katie and Alicia.

*****

            "For Durmstrang, I give you Zankowcyzk, Adamczyk, Svobdova, Medvidinko, McCarthy, Krum and Rye…. Rib…. Ruh…. RASPUTIN!" Lee cried. McGonagall whacked him soundly in the back of his head.  "Well what do you think it says he asked indignantly, trying to whisper. He forgot that he'd been allowed to magically magnify his voice so everyone in the stadium heard him. He and McGonagall poured over a scrap of paper for a moment. "RIB-JIN-SKI!" he finally cried. "And for Gryf-I mean Hogwarts, I give you Potter, Johnson, Spinnet, Bell, the twins Weasley and Weas- I MEAN MALFOY!" only a pair of smacks from Snape kept him form announcing Gryffindor and Weasley. 

%%%%%

            "Krum? Did he just say Krum? I've got to play against Krum?" Harry spluttered as he waited with his teammates for Lee to begin announcing them. Hermione rapped him hard across the back of his head with her knuckles while Ron jerked an elbow into his ribs.

            "Not Viktor Krum, imbecile! Dmitri Krum, Viktor's younger brother!" Draco spat.

*****

            "And THEY'RE OFF!" Lee shouted. "And that's Medvidinko in possession of the Quaffle! The entire Durmstrang team streaks towards the Hogwarts goals! WATCH OUT MALFOY! It's a horde of naked Bulgarians! What, Professor McGonagall? I said they were streaking! It was just a jjooookkkkkeeee!" Lee cowered under the bench to avoid the angry professor.

%%%%%

            Draco turned just in time to see an advancing wall of Durmstrang players. The center player held the quaffle. All were built like Crabbe and Goyle. He prepared himself for the immanent attack, expecting the team to stop just outside the scoring area. They didn't. Draco woke up in the hospital wing sometime mid-afternoon on Tuesday. 

*****

            "And that's Angelina Johnson with a beautiful goal! This brings the score to Durmstrang 170, Hogwarts, uh… 10."

            "Finally!" Oliver cried from his spot on the Hogwarts bench.

            "William's really choking up there," Ron observed from where he sat next to Oliver.

            "When I want your opinion, Weasley, I'll give it to you," Oliver snapped.

            "FHECKIN-EHY!"  Lee's expletive rang out across the field. McGonagall made no move to quiet him. Krum had smashed his beaters bat down across the handle of Angelina's broom, flipping her into a reckless head over heels spin.

            "Fuck!" Oliver partially echoed Lee's sentiment. Katie and George swooped in to attempt to control Angelina before she fell. The referee awarded another penalty shot to Hogwarts. Katie and George finally managed to upright Angelina. Katie's attempt on goal was stopped short by Rybzynski. 

            "What do I do?" Oliver asked.

            "Did you read the bit in Quidditch Monthly two months ago about Puddlemere's defeat of Wimbourne?" Ron asked. Oliver watched in dismay as Adamczyk threw another goal home. 

            "I was at that match, but what we didn't isn't yet legal in this league," Oliver spat. Ron shrugged and glanced back up at the game. Alicia had the quaffle wrapped protectively in her arms ripping up the field with Katie and Angelina at either elbow. McCarthy, a Durmstrang beater as big as Alicia and Katie combined flew directly into the girls' path and stopped completely. Alicia and Katie peeled out of the way in time but Angelina smashed into the brute with full force. She slid backwards off of her broom and tumbled towards the pitch.

            "In yet another blatant display of cheating, the likes of which Slytherin has never dreamed of, the bloody Bulgarian Communist McCarthy has flattened Angelina Johnson!"

            "Leonard Joseph McCarthy Jordan!" Professor McGonagall roared.

            "What Professor McGonagall? It's not like they can actually understand me! And why'd you have to?" Lee's commentary was cut short by a pair of counter charms courtesy of McGonagall and Snape. Dumbledore magnified his voice and took over commentary as McGonagall marched Lee down the stairs towards the pitch.

            "Bloody hell!" Ron exclaimed as Angelina crashed into the pitch.  

            "What am I going to do?" Oliver cried.

            "Maybe you should," Ron began.

            "Rhetorical question, Weasley!" Oliver spat, "When I want your opinion, I'll." He paused for a moment. "No wait, I'll never want your opinion."

            "Call a time out," Ron advised, ignoring Oliver's comment. Hermione, who had just returned from taking Draco to the hospital wing and helping Madame Pomfrey stop the worst of the bleeding, hurried over to Angelina.

            "TIME OUT!" Oliver roared. The ref blew his whistle and the Hogwarts team headed over towards their coach. Ron gathered his broom and joined the group.

            "William, I want you to stay at keeper. Fred, do you think you can take Angelina's spot?" Oliver asked.  Fred nodded solemnly. A determined look spread across his face.

            "Let's do this for 'Lina," Alicia said. Oliver didn't need to tell Ron where to go as Harry had already summoned Ron's bat from the locker room.

            "For Angelina," George echoed, holding out his hand. The rest of his teammates tossed hands on his.

            "Harry, just end it," Oliver instructed. Harry nodded. 

            "For Angelina," George said once more.

            "What about Draco?" William asked, momentarily forgetting he was the only non-Gryffindor in the group. The glares from his six teammates and his former Gryffindor coach quickly reminded him and he shut his mouth.

*****

            "And Harry Potter has the snitch, but Durmstrang still takes the win, 340-170!" Dumbledore cried.

&&&&&

            "So maybe you guys will beat Beauxbatons," Colin reasoned.

            "We'll probably have better luck against Salem," Harry replied.

            "Yeah," agreed Ron. "The Americans are more interested in Quodpot than Quidditch."

            "How's your arm, Angelina?" Hannah asked. Angelina had received a cut to her arm when she fell that took Hermione and Madame Pomfrey close to 45 minutes to heal.

            "Merely a flesh wound!" Angelina insisted.

            "Like hell," George spat. He brushed his fingertips over his girlfriend's formerly injured arm.

            "The strongest binding spell Madame Pomfrey knows barely held your arm together and you call that a flesh wound?" Hermione asked. Angelina smiled sheepishly. Before she could say anything, plates of food appeared on the table in front of all of them. 

            "Madame Rosmerta is the best," Lee mumbled through a mouthful of fish. Several of the boys present nodded in agreement. 

            "Anyone would be the greatest if they sent you fish and chips and butterbeer on a regular basis," Marissa laughed, elbowing her boyfriend in his ribs. Lee playfully smacked her hand away. Hermione glanced across the table at her two best friends. She noticed that Harry was, quite suspiciously, feeding himself using his left hand. Before she could cause a distraction for herself, Fred dropped his napkin under the table. She quickly leaned under the table to get it and her suspicions were proven correct. Harry's hand had found Hannah's and the two had their fingers laced together with their hands resting on the bench between them. Hermione controlled her "aww" and instead balled up Fred's napkin and threw it at Ginny's legs. The napkin bounced off of Ginny's right knee and Hermione quickly sat up. The youngest Weasley looked straight over at Hermione. Hermione smiled and flashed a pointed look in Harry and Hannah's direction and then flashed her eyes downward. Ginny peeked over Hannah's lap. She, too, had to contain the "aww" threatening to escape from her lips.  

            "So who is everyone taking to the Yule Ball?" Marissa asked, looking mostly at the guys. Harry's right hand instantly reappeared above the table when he realized he'd be the center of attention soon.

            "You," Lee said, smiling sweetly at his girlfriend. Marissa looked over at Ron.

            "Mandy," Ron said, flashing a quick smile at his date.

            "Amanda Princeton," Ernie said.

            "Elise Midgen," Justin replied. Marissa glanced at Harry.

            "Hannah," Harry said with a shy smile in Hannah's direction.

            "Colin?" Marissa asked.

            "Cheyenne Williamson," Colin replied.

            "And Ginny, who is taking you?" Marissa asked.

            "I'm not going," Ginny replied. Marissa flashed a sly smile at Angelina that only Hermione noticed. She decided not to question the seventh years until a bit later when not as many people were present. 

*****

            An opportunity for Hermione's question presented itself when all eight male members of the group jumped up suddenly and quite suspiciously and ran for the door as soon as the last one finished his meal.

            "What's the bet that they're on a group trip to find our presents?" Marissa laughed.

            "Harry already has Hannah's," Ginny laughed.

            "What did he get me?" Hannah questioned.

            "I'm not telling you!" Ginny insisted.

            "Ginny, I need some help picking out my present for your brother!" Mandy exclaimed.

            "I don't know what he got you," Ginny began.

            "That doesn't matter, I know what I'm getting him. It's just a matter of picking out one of the thing I want to get him," Mandy explained.

            "Fair enough," Ginny laughed. "Let's go shop!" She jumped up and headed towards the door, Mandy close on her trail. Hannah glanced over at Hermione and rolled her eyes. Hermione laughed at her friend. 

            "So, uh, Hannah, you and Harry were getting a little comfortable over there earlier," she teased. Hannah turned bright red.

            "What do you mean?" she asked.

            "I mean the two of you were holding hands under the table and hoping no one would notice," Hermione laughed.

            "AAWWWW!" Marissa and Angelina produced the sounds Ginny and Hermione had so carefully held in earlier.

            "So how many people did notice?" Hannah asked nervously.

            "Just me and Ginny as far as I know. I don't think anyone else realized Harry probably shouldn't have been feeding himself with his left hand," Hermione explained.   
            "Little Harry's got a crush!" Angelina cried.

            "He's growing up before our very eyes," Marissa added. Hermione rolled her eyes at the two seventh years while Hannah turned bright red again.

            "And you two, what was the bit about Ginny's Yule Ball date about?" Hermione asked the two older girls.

            "Nothing," Angelina insisted.

            "Nothing," Marissa agreed.

            "That was a little suspicious to be about nothing," Hermione replied. 

            "You'll see," Marissa said.

            "You'll see," Angelina echoed. 

            "What are you getting Fred for Christmas?" Marissa asked.

            "Well, the part I already have is a double picture frame. One side has the lyrics of the song he sang for me for our one month anniversary and the other has a picture Colin took of him kissing me across the table at Halloween when we were dressed up as McGonagall and Harry," Hermione explained.

            "And the part you don't have?" Angelina asked. 

            "I book I ordered by owl post about starting successful businesses. He was complaining a while back that he wasn't sure how he and George would get their joke shop off the ground, so I figured that would help," Hermione said.

            "That's… sweet, in a very," Marissa paused. "Hermione sort of way."

            "What's that supposed to mean?" Hermione asked.

            "Only you would think of giving your boyfriend a book for Christmas," Angelina supplied.

            "Well, I got him a sweet gift too!" Hermione insisted. "What are the two of you getting your boyfriends?" 

            "I'm getting George potions' ingredients," Angelina admitted.

            "And you said my book was weird?" Hermione asked.

            "Well. He needs some things not found in the student stores at Hogwarts for some of the inventions he and Fred are working on," Angelina said, "So I bought him a bit of some of the ingredients."

            "That's sweet in a very Hermione sort of way too!" Marissa squealed. Hermione glared at the older girl.

            "What did you get Lee?" Angelina asked.

            "Tickets to the Weird Sisters' New Year's concert in London," Marissa said with a big smile. She was obviously quite proud of herself. 

            "He'll love that!" Angelina exclaimed. 

            "And you're getting Harry?" Marissa asked, turning to Hannah who was still seated across the table.

            "A book," Hannah admitted.

            "Which one?" Angelina asked.

            "The Giving Tree," Hannah said. "I know that doesn't make a lot of sense, but I'm fairly confident he'll like it." 

%%%%%

            "Hey look, there's Jae!" Ginny said, pointing across the street to where Jae Lucas stood with Seamus, Lavender, Parvati, Kyle and Dean.

            "Who?" Mandy asked.

            "Jae Lucas, my closest friend from my year. Marissa's little sister," Ginny explained.

            "It looks like she's waving you over there," Mandy said. 

            "She is," Ginny replied. The two girls took off towards the group of Gryffindors on the other side of the street.

            "Jae!" Ginny exclaimed as she approached her friend.

            "Ginny!" Jae cried.

            "How is the Christmas Shopping going?" Ginny asked.

            "It's going," Jae replied, "And that's about all that can be said for it. Who are you?"

            "I'm Mandy," Mandy replied, a little surprised at the directness of Jae's question.

            "Ron's Yule Ball date," Ginny supplied.

            "Speaking of the Yule Ball," Jae laughed. She glanced backwards over her shoulder at the group standing just behind her.

            "Shove it, Jae!" Seamus paused for a second. "Jae whatever your middle name is Lucas! What is your middle name?"

            "Not telling," Jae replied with a smile.

            "Then Shove it, Jae Not Telling Lucas!" Seamus exclaimed. Lavender elbowed him in his ribs.

            "What is your middle name?" Ginny asked.

            "I said I'm not telling," Jae insisted.

            "Is Jae your first name?" Lavender asked.

            "Nope," Jae replied.

            "So it's your middle name," Parvati reasoned.

            "Nope," Jae said with a sly smile.

            "It's a shortened version of your first name?" Kyle guessed.

            "Nope, and before someone guesses, it's not a shortened version of my middle name either," Jae laughed. 

            "Does your first or middle name start with a J?" Kyle guessed.

            "No," Jae said.

            "Do any of your names even have a j in them?" Dean asked. Jae counted on her fingers for a moment.

            "Nope," she laughed. "Look, you're not going to guess, so just quit trying. And asking Marissa will do no good either. She's been sworn to secrecy."

            "So where were you guys headed?" Ginny asked, mentally planning to ask Marissa as soon as she saw her again what Jae's real name was. 

            "Well, Dean and Seamus were just headed to Honeydukes to figure out what to buy Harry, Ron and Neville for Christmas. Kyle was going over to Gladrag's to buy his mother a present, and we were headed to that new store at the edge of town," Lavender explained.

            "That's where we were going," Mandy said.

            "Well hey, why don't you come with us, and Ginny, you go with Dean and Seamus because they're fairly stumped on what kind of candy to buy their roommates," Lavender suggested, shooting a sly smile over at her boyfriend and his best friend. Ginny didn't notice.

            "Is that okay with you, Mandy?" Ginny asked.

            "Yeah, that's fine. I think I know what to get Ron anyway," Mandy said. She started off with Lavender, Parvati and Jae. Kyle headed off towards Gladrag's and Ginny was left standing with Seamus and Dean.

            "You know boys, it's really not that complicated. My brother will eat anything basically. You could give him chocolate covered bubotuber and he'd probably eat it and say it was tasty," Ginny laughed. "So I don't see what the big issue is." She started off towards Honeydukes. Dean and Seamus followed her closely. 

            "What about Harry and Neville?" Seamus asked.

            "You mean to tell me you've lived with the three of them for the past four and a half years and you don't know what kind of candy to buy them?" Ginny asked.

            "You've lived with Jae for the past three and a half and you don't even know her real name," Seamus insisted.

            "Okay, I see your point. I'll be quiet now," Ginny laughed. She pulled open the front door to Honeydukes and walked inside. The boy's caught the door from her and followed her in. The trio started off towards the display of Chocolate Frog's and Bertie Bott's.

            "They're both fans of both of these candies," Ginny said, looking at the display. 

            "That's not very original though," Seamus said.

            "They're your roommates. Is original really necessary?" Ginny asked.

            "Yes!" Seamus insisted. He started towards the back of the store where the case containing the imported candies was located. Ginny and Dean trailed after him.

            "I wonder what's gotten into him," Ginny laughed.

            "Good question. Shopping usually does make Seamus a little weird though," Dean said, rather nervously. Seamus stopped just in front of the case of candy imports.

            "Look at that fudge!" he said, attempting not to salivate on the glass. Dean and Ginny walked over and joined him at the case. They looked down through the top at the sheet of white chocolate fudge that comprised the contents of the entire top shelf. The fudge was white chocolate with a milk chocolate swirl. Seamus pulled out his wand and tapped it to the case.

            "Seamus, what are you doing? Trying to get us thrown out of the store?" Dean asked. Seamus cackled maniacally and sprinted towards the entrance.

            "Okay, for Seamus, that was even certifiably weird" Dean said shakily. Ginny looked back down towards the fudge. The milk chocolate swirls were slowly morphing to form words.

            _Ginny, Will you go to the Yule Ball with me? _

            Ginny looked up and glanced at the front door of the shop.

            "I thought he was going with Lavender," she said. Dean pointedly glanced back at the case.

            _Dean_

            "Oh," Ginny said, clasping her hand to her mouth.

            "I know you have the guy in France and everything, but I think you're a really sweet girl, and I'd like to go with you, if only just as friends," Dean began mumbling. Ginny blinked twice and looked Dean directly in his dark chocolate eyes.

            "Of course I'll go to the ball with you." Dean smiled broadly. The two heard cheering from the front of the store. They turned to see the entire Gryffindor fifth year, save Neville, Mandy, Hannah, Justin and Ernie, the Weasley twins, their friends and significant others, Jae, Kyle and Colin Creevey standing at the front of the store cheering.

            "Were they all in on this?" Ginny asked. Dean nodded sheepishly.

"Mostly," he said. Ginny turned to face the group and then glanced down at her watch.

            "You all have five seconds," she began. Harry let out a loud shriek and tore out of the store at a very high rate of speed. 

            "Yeah, he's got the right idea," Ginny laughed. 

_Beta's Note: Now I'm even more of a saint. Hippiechic is technically grounded, so I get to post these for her. Now tell me how much you us both for two chapters at once._


	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: Harry, no. Hannah, no. Binns, no. Just checking. Still don't own them. 

            "Thank you for bringing your child here to me," the cold voice pierced the warm summer night. Three black robed figures stood huddled together at the edge of a forest. A large field spread out before them, with a weather-beaten shack off in the distance. The two smaller figures cowered in front of the tallest. The taller figure reached out a long, pale, bony hand and placed in the head of the smallest figure. The hood of the cloak the child wore fell back and a blinding flash of light ripped across the field.

            Harry's eyes flew open and his left hand flew to his throbbing right arm. Wait a minute. His arm? Wasn't his head supposed to hurt or tingle after dreams concerning You Know Who? Harry looked down at the tiny pink scar, remnant of his most recent meeting with Voldemort.

            "Harry man, it's History of Magic and it's yours and Hannah's night to present!" Ron exclaimed. He flung back Harry's bed curtains and was more than a little surprised to find his best friend sitting straight up in his bed clutching his arm.

            "What's wrong?" Ron asked.

            "It's that dream again," Harry replied. He started to crawl out of his bed.

            "You Know Who's Jr. League?" Ron guessed. Harry nodded.

            "I had more of it, but I still don't know who the child is," Harry said.

            "So you've been ready to kill me for nothing!" Ron cried.

            "RON!!" Hermione screeched from the common room. Her tone was more panicked than angry, so both boys sprinted onto the landing outside their dorm room. They found their friend at the bottom of the girl's staircase crouched over a motionless form on the floor.

            "Hermione, what's going on?" Ron asked. Hermione spun around and looked up at her friends.

            "It's Astrid," Hermione began. Before she could say anything, Ron took off down the staircase towards her with Harry on his heels. The two boy's crouched next to Hermione, Ron at Astrid's head and Harry at her feet.

            "She was walking up the stairs and then all of the sudden she made a really odd noise like she was trying not to scream. She tried to reach for her ankle but instead flipped backwards down the stairs. I can't wake her up," Hermione explained.

            "She's bleeding," Ron said. Sure enough, the front bit of Astrid's hair was slowly turning dark red due to a small cut just at her hairline.

            "Hospital wing," Harry suggested.

            "I'll take her," Ron volunteered, "Just save me a seat in History of Magic." Hermione began to protest but Ron had already cradled the little girl in his arms so she remained silent.

            "You have to be in class in time for mine and Hannah's presentation," Harry said as Ron stood up with Astrid still in his arms. He held her tightly against his chest.

            "I'll try not to miss it," Ron said and he started towards the portrait hole.

            "How long ago did it happen?" Harry asked.

            "About five minutes," Hermione said. Harry scrubbed his fist across his eyes.

            "Did you just wake up?" Hermione asked.

            "Yes," Harry admitted. "I decided to grab a nap before History but my dream woke me up."

            "The dream?" Hermione asked.

            "Yes," Harry replied. "About five minutes ago. My arm was hurting."

            "Your arm?" Harry held out his arm so she could see the small scar.

            "Do you know who the kid is yet?" Hermione asked. Harry stood up and summoned his bag from his dorm.

            "The kid's hood fell back and all I saw was a bright white light and then my arm started hurting," Harry explained as he caught his bag.

            "You said this happened five minutes ago?" Hermione asked. Harry nodded. Hermione's jaw dropped and she clamped her hands to her mouth.

            "You don't think the kid could be Astrid do you?" she asked.

            "Do you think a random pain in her ankle and a random pain in my scar AND the dream is merely coincidental?" Harry asked.

            "No, and that's why I wonder if the kid is Astrid," Hermione said. She started towards the door.

            "But her ankle? That's a little odd. Voldemort is usually more of a fan of visible places. Arms and foreheads for instance. And in the dream, he usually says son. This time he did say child though," Harry reasoned. "But she's in Gryffindor!" The portrait closed behind the pair.

            "But both of her brothers are in," Hermione paused. "Slytherin." Harry grabbed the sleeve of Hermione's robe. He knew the look that had just crossed her face all too well.

            "You've got to go to History of Magic now," Harry said. "The library will still be there when we finish."

*****

            "What happened here?" Madame Pomfrey asked as Ron entered the hospital wing with Astrid still cradled in his arms.

            "She fell down the stairs in the," Ron began.

            "Out of my way, Weasley!" Draco spat, pushing past Ron and over to Madame Pomfrey.

            "Oh no, what happened?" Madame Pomfrey asked. Only then did Ron realize Draco held Keiran much the way he held Astrid.

            "He," began Draco.

            "Never mind that," Madame Pomfrey insisted, starting over towards the fireplace. "Draco put him in the second bed from the end down there and Ron, put her in Harry's bed." The fifth years started towards the other side of the hospital wing. Ron carefully placed Astrid in the last bed on the left while Draco dumped Keiran into the bed next to his twin's. 

            "Now get out," Madame Pomfrey said. Ron obediently headed towards the door. Draco, however, waited until Ron was gone. Then he turned and looked down at the motionless form of his little sister. He pushed her bloody hair away from her face and squeezed her hand before quickly exiting the hospital wing.

*****

            "Are you ready?" Hannah asked Harry, looking up into his eyes He fiercely shook his head no.

            "You're not?" Hannah asked. Harry shook his head no again.

            "Mr. Potter, Miss Abbott, your preparation time is up," said Professor Binns. He pulled his head back through the wall and into his classroom.

            "Hannah, I can't!" Harry croaked.

            "Yes, you can. Just like we practiced," Hannah insisted. Harry shook his head no again. Hannah threw her arms around him tightly. "It's going to be really embarrassing if I have to summon you in there," she whispered. He returned her hug a little less enthusiastically. The thought of being impaled on his own sword was enough to make him move.

            "I save the world," Harry muttered as he followed Hannah into the classroom. "I don't do public speaking." Hannah rolled her eyes and stepped confidently to the front of the room. She turned to face the combined group of Hufflepuff and Gryffindor fifth years. 

            "How many of you before coming to Hogwarts had heard the name Harry Potter?" Hannah asked. Harry immediately turned a shade of bright red that lasted throughout much of the presentation. A little more than half of the class raised their hands.

            "How many of you thought he was a hero?" Hannah asked. All of the hands remained raised. Harry turned to face his classmates.

            "Well, we're here today to explain what really happened the night Voldemort fell and prove that James and Lily Potter were the real hero's of the situation," he said with a level of confidence he hadn't had when he and Hannah were standing in the hall. Hannah glanced down at her note cards.

            "James Godric Potter was born on November 7, 1963. He was the second son of Atticus and Mary Potter. His older brother Thomas was nine when James was born." Hannah began, "James began showing signs of magic at a very early age. By the time he was nine, James's accidental magic was so out of control that Atticus petitioned the school governors to allow James to enter Hogwarts a year early. Because James's birthday was only one month and fourteen days after the cut off date for the year and he was already showing extreme magical ability, James was allowed to enter Hogwarts at age 10." Hannah turned to Harry.

            "At Hogwarts, James befriended Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. The four boys were best friends and caused more trouble than Fred and George Weasley have even imagined." This statement from Harry received a hearty laugh from all present. "In fact, most of a certain professor's dislike of Gryffindors can be attributed to my father and his friends." The Gryffindors in the group were more amused by this than the Hufflepuffs. "While at school, my father was captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. He was also a prefect and even named Head Boy."

            "When James was 16, his older brother Thomas, then 25, was killed by Voldemort. Thomas had been an innocent by-stander in one of Voldemort's attacks on Diagon Alley. About eight months after Thomas died; Death Eaters killed Mary and Atticus. The loss of his entire family in such a short period of time caused James to dedicate his life to defeating Voldemort." Hannah glanced over at Harry. He smiled quickly at her before launching into his second bit of the presentation.

            "Besides Sirius, Remus and Pettigrew, my father also met a witch named Lily Ann Evans when he arrived at Hogwarts. Lily was born on May 27th, 1963. She was the first child of Forrest and Acacia Evans. She had one younger sister, Petunia Evans Dursley who was born 15 months later. Both Forrest and Acacia were muggles, so Lily's acceptance to Hogwarts came as a huge surprise to the entire family. Two years later, when she didn't' receive her own Hogwarts letter, Petunia became insanely jealous of Lily, causing an irreparable rift to form in the family. Acacia died of cancer when Lily was 14 and Forrest committed suicide shortly after that."

            "At Hogwarts, Lily's best friend was Arabella Figg who was a year younger than Lily and the four boys. Her other close friends were James, Sirius, Remus and Peter. She was a prefect, top of her year and eventually named Head Girl. She also played beater for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Beginning at age 14, she and James dated. Their relationship was sporadic at best until they were 16. On the deaths of James's family, he turned largely to Lily because she had experienced much the same thing a couple years earlier. The two officially became boyfriend and girlfriend that year. James proposed to Lily on the night of their graduation in 1978. On June 21st, 1979, the couple was married and on July 31st, 1980, Harry James Potter was born.

            "That's me," Harry said with a slight wave, eliciting another round of laughter from the class. "After Hogwarts, dad wanted to become an auror. Unfortunately, you had to be 21 to be an auror then. Dad completed all of the pre-training and then went to work for Dumbledore in the battle against Voldemort while waiting for his 21st birthday."

            "Lily worked in the Charms Department at Gringott's for a while before quitting work to be a stay at home mother," Hannah supplied.

            "In August of 1981, the need for my family to go into hiding arose. My father named Sirius Black as his Secret Keeper," Harry began.

            "But before the Fidelius charm could be performed, James and Dumbledore decided that Sirius was too logical of a choice as secret keeper, so James chose Peter instead," Hannah finished. Most of the class gasped. Ron and Hermione threw in surprised looks to keep from looking suspicious.

            "So the charm was performed and James, Lily, and Harry went into hiding. What they didn't realize is that, on several different levels, they had confided in a rat." Hannah said. Hermione and Ron both snorted at the double meaning of Hannah's statement. Hannah turned to the board. She quickly hung up an enlarged picture of James and Lily at their wedding and tapped the map with her wand. Harry stepped forward to the center of the class. He jammed his hands into the pockets of his robe and swallowed hard.

            "October 31st, 1981 was just like any other day for my family. Around six o'clock that evening, mum and I were in the living room. We had just finished dinner and were waiting for dad to arrive home from a meeting with Professor Dumbledore.

            The dots representing Lily and Harry grew a bit on the map.

            "Dad arrived home a few moments later. He hugged Mum hello and went off to the kitchen to have his dinner. Not even a minute later, Voldemort entered the front door of the house and a death eater entered the back door into the kitchen."

            Two dots on the map labeled "Death Eater" and "Voldemort" slowly moved about the parchment.

            "In the kitchen, the death eater bargained with my dad. My dad agreed to become a death eater if Voldemort would spare me and my mum." Harry swallowed again and blinked twice. "The young death eater put a full body bind on my dad and then moved to the living room to speak with Voldemort about dad's offer. In the living room, mum was desperately trying to make the same bargain with Voldemort. Voldemort would hear nothing of either bargain and put the Cruciatus Curse on the Death Eater. Then he proceeded to attempt to push past my mother to get to me. He insisted that she'd follow him even if he killed me. She begged him not to kill me and even went so far as to place herself between Voldemort and me. This action ultimately cost her life. Just as Voldemort was ready to kill me, Dad broke free of the spell the death eater had placed on him and raced back into the living room." 

            Only Hannah noticed the single tear trailing down Harry's cheek. He sniffed slightly but refrained from wiping his eyes.

            "Dad requested that Voldemort kill him instead of me. Voldemort obliged and then turned on me. He fired off a Killing Curse. Because both of my parents died because they," Harry paused. Hannah glanced around the room and noticed that the majority of the girls and even a few of the boys, namely Ron and Neville, had tears in their eyes. Harry swallowed hard and sniffed again, attempting to keep his emotions in check.

            "Both of my parents died because they loved me more than life its self. Because of this, I had an almost tangible protection. The curse rebounded off of me and hit Voldemort. It did nothing but cut my forehead. It left Voldemort completely powerless and bodiless, but my effort still wasn't quite good enough." Harry choked out the last few words. Hannah stepped forward next to Harry. She placed her hand over his and squeezed lightly.

            "So we ask you; who were the real heroes that night?" Hannah finished Harry's speech for him as he had lost vocal capabilities and couldn't tear his eyes away from his shoes.

            The entire class immediately broke into applause. Many of the Gryffindors, Justin and Ernie jumped to their feet. Professor Binns floated to the front of the class and raised a hand for silence.

            "This concludes our night of presentations," he announced. "Please return to your common rooms immediately." Professor Binns had held a night session of the class due to the sheer length of the presentations and lack of time in class. The class slowly stood up and started towards the door, many congratulating Harry and Hannah on their way out. Ron and Hermione stopped long enough for Hermione to hug Harry and both of them to promise a conversation in the common room when Harry was ready to talk.

            "Shut the door when you're through," Professor Binns said, casting a pointed look at Harry and Hannah's visual aids before floating through the ceiling. Hannah surveyed the now empty room before turning to face Harry. She carefully removed his glasses and placed them on the table just behind him. He leaned back against the table, bringing himself almost eye level with Hannah. She used her thumbs to carefully brush the remaining tears away form his eyes. He smiled sheepishly at her before opening his arms. She leaned into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his shoulder.

            "Hannah?" he asked after a moment.

            "Yeah Harry?" she replied, lifting her head from his shoulder. He pushed her back just a bit so he could look into her eyes. 

            "Thank you," he said.

            "You're welcome," she replied softly, never breaking eye contact. He tilted his head ever so slightly and leaned towards her. She fluttered her eyes closed and tilted her head in the opposite direction, looking up at him. Before either of them fully realized what was happening, their lips met. Their kiss was brief but perfect. Hannah pulled away after about five seconds and rested her head back on Harry's shoulder. He absentmindedly played with her hair.

            "Thank you," he whispered.

*****

            "Where am I?" A small voice asked from just beside Ron. He glanced over at Astrid. She blinked her eyes rapidly, trying to make them adjust to the light.

            "The Hospital Wing," Ron replied. Astrid rubbed her eyes and attempted to focus on Ron. 

            "Why are you here?" she asked.

            "Well, Sawyer, Jason, Dennis and Mandrake Chelsea were in here but Madame Pomfrey threw them out because Jason and Chelsea were about ready to rip each other's head's off. They asked me to come back and sit with you because we didn't want you to wake up alone," Ron explained.

            "Thanks," Astrid said, "but exactly why am I in here?"

            "Well, a combination of something being wrong with your ankle, falling down the stairs in the common room and blacking out completely," Ron said.

            "It was the ankle, then the blacking out then the falling because I certainly don't remember falling down the stairs but I remember my ankle hurting," Astrid reasoned.

            "Well, you scared the shit out of Hermione. She was the only one who saw it happen," Ron laughed. "What was wrong with your ankle anyway?"

            "I told you before, it just hurts sometimes. It's weird like that," she leveled a glare on Ron that told him not to press the matter any farther.

            "Is it okay now?" he asked. Astrid rolled her experimentally as though the problem was in the joint.

            "Seems to be okay," she chirped. "So I'm wondering if she'll let me leave." The little girl looked nervously around the room.

            "Well, Keiran was in here when I brought you in, and he's not now, so I suppose you can probably go," Ron said. He stood up and went to find Madame Pomfrey. 

            "Kei was in here?" Astrid asked.

            "Yes," Ron replied. "He passed out too or something. Draco carried him in, but he didn't really say what was wrong."

            "Ronald Weasley, you're going to wake Astrid!" Madame Pomfrey exclaimed, bustling out of her office. Astrid instantly ran her hand through her hair to make it stand up. She leaned back on her hands and squinted her eyes to look as though she had just woken up.

            "He's being really loud!" she complained, faking a huge yawn just at the end of her sentence. Ron glared at her over the hospital matron's shoulder. 

            "OUT!" Madame Pomfrey roared.

            "I was only kidding!" Astrid cried, smiling at the old woman. "I was already awake and Ron was coming to find you to tell you."

            "So you feel better then?" Madame Pomfrey asked.

            "Yes," Astrid replied.

            "I would let you go back to the common room, but you may need to stay the night because of your ankle. The walk back to the common room wouldn't be good for it," Madame Pomfrey said.

            "Oh Madame Pomfrey, do I really have to stay. Even if I promise to stay off of it?" Astrid asked.

            "How, Miss Malfoy, do you propose you'll get back to the common room?" Madame Pomfrey asked.

            "How did I get here?" Astrid replied.

            "I carried you," Ron said.

            "Are you up for carrying me back?" Astrid asked.

            "Sure," Ron said. 

            "Do you promise not to walk until tomorrow morning?" Madame Pomfrey asked. 

            "Yes," Astrid said. 

            "Well then," Madame Pomfrey turned to Ron. "Make sure she stays off that ankle, will you?"

            "Yes," Ron agreed.

            "Okay, you may go back to the common room." Madame Pomfrey said. Astrid held her arms up to Ron like an over grown baby asking to be removed from it's crib. Ron reached over and grabbed Astrid. He tossed her roughly over his shoulder and turned towards the door.

            "RO-ON!" Astrid half laughed, half squealed. She pounded her fists on his back.

            "Ronald Weasley, if you don't carry her properly, she's going to have to remain here for the night," Madame Pomfrey warned. Ron easily transferred Astrid to the way he had been carrying her when he brought her to the Hospital Wing.

            "Better?" He asked.

            "Yes!" came the resounding reply from both Madame Pomfrey and Astrid. Ron smiled at Madame Pomfrey before stepping towards the door again.

            "Bye Madame Pomfrey, with the group of friends I've got, I'm sure I'll see you soon," he called over his shoulder. The door closed behind him to the tune of Madame Pomfrey's laughter.

            "I can walk you know," Astrid said as soon as the door closed. 

            "I don't think so, chica. You just got out of the hospital wing for a hurt ankle. I don't think I'm going to let you walk," Ron insisted.

            "It's not what you think," Astrid said. "And I assure you, I can walk."

            "What is it then?" Ron asked. Astrid paused for a moment, obviously planning her answer.

            "You know how Harry's scar sometimes hurts?" Astrid asked. Ron nodded. "Well, I don't necessarily have a scar, but I have a situation sort of like that with my ankle."

            "You have a cursed scar courtesy of Vold-," Ron attempted to say the name. "Of You Know Who?"

            "I didn't say that it was a scar or that it was courtesy of Voldey," Astrid insisted.

            "But you didn't say it wasn't, either," Ron reasoned.

            "You are too much, Ron Weasley," Astrid laughed. She placed both hands on his chest and her head found the comfortable spot on his shoulder. She closed her eyes, effectively ending the conversation.

*****

            Fred eased the door of the library open and slipped inside, uncomfortable in the unfamiliar surroundings. In his seven years at Hogwarts, Fred has spent as many days in the library as Hermione spent without visiting, which is to say, not many.

            "Are you lost?" Madame Pince asked the nervous looking red head.

            "You wouldn't happen to know where I could find Hermione Granger, would you?" Fred asked.

            "She's in her usual spot," replied the librarian.

            "Which is?" Fred prompted.

            "Through the Dark Arts section, past the medi-magic books, left across from the restricted section, through the divination books and just on the right," Madame Pomfrey instructed.

            "Right," said Fred, "So could you point me towards the Dark Arts section?" Madame Pince jerked her thumb over her shoulder towards her left.

            Five minutes later, Fred stepped around the corner of yet another bookcase. He hadn't been able to find Hermione or a way out of the library. Then he noticed the glow of a desk lamp on the other side of the book case. He quickly ran around to the other side. About midway down the right shelf there was a break in the book case with a desk built right into the shelves. A girl sat at the desk. She didn't notice Fred but her bushy brown hair was unmistakable. He crept towards her. She never heard him. He placed both hands on the back of her chair and leaned down. She never looked up from the book she was reading. He softly closed his teeth on her right ear. She let out a shriek meant to wake the dead so he quickly clamped his hand over her mouth. Only then did he realize she was trembling all over. He slid down to the floor next to the bookshelf and pulled her from her chair into his lap.

            "Baby?" he whispered.

            "I'm okay," she replied, despite the fact she was still shaking. He ran his fingers through her hair a couple of times.

            "I'm sorry, baby," Fred whispered. Hermione smiled sweetly at him. He leaned in for a kiss.

*fifteen minutes later*

            "Now we see why you like coming to the library so much," A familiar voice said from just off to Fred and Hermione's left. The pair jumped into the air from surprise and tried to untangle themselves from each other. Hermione tried to smooth her hair and Fred ran a hand across his mouth. Both were unsuccessful attempts to hide the fact that they'd been caught snogging in the library.

            "Merlin Fred, that's Hermione!" Ron cried.

            "And this is the library!" Harry added.

            "Merlin Ron, she's my girlfriend!" Fred exclaimed. "And what's wrong with the library?"

              
            "And besides, I don't see either of you being brave enough to even kiss your girls," Hermione quipped. Ron and Harry both turned bright red, but for completely different reasons. Ron knew Hermione was right. Harry knew she wasn't.

            "Bloody hell Hermione, why'd you have to point that out?" Ron asked. Harry stayed oddly silent. Fred finally picked himself up from the library floor. He offered his hand to Hermione. She took it and he pulled her to her feet. She carefully laced her fingers through his.

            "If you two are quite finished, fancy a walk back to the common room?" Ron asked. Hermione and Fred exchanged a glance and Fred shrugged.

            "Sure," he replied. Hermione quickly banished her books into her bag and Fred picked up the bag and slung it over his shoulder.

            "So what did you figure out?" Harry asked as soon as the library door closed behind the group.

            "Some quite interesting stuff. I want to run a few tests first though," Hermione said.

            "Tests?" the three boys chorused.

            "Yes, tests," Hermione replied.

            "On what?" Harry asked.

            "Well, Fred, Ron, do you guys think you could help out?" Hermione asked.

            "Sure," Fred readily agreed.

            "What are we testing?" Ron asked, a bit more warily than his older brother.

            "Actually, I'll need George and maybe Ginny too," Hermione said. Fred glanced over at Ron.

            "Why do I get the idea we're going to be the test subjects?" Fred asked.

            "Maybe because you are," Hermione laughed.

            "Will it hurt?" Ron and Fred asked simultaneously.

            "No," Hermione said. "I just need to test the strength of Fred and George's magic in relation to the presence of each other, various siblings and other people."

            "And you're going to do this how?" Fred asked.

            "Just get George to go along with it and you'll see," Hermione said.

*****

            "So are you going to tell us what the results of these tests are?" Ron asked. Hermione was pouring over a thick sheaf of parchment while curled up in a corner of the couch. Ron was lounging across one of the chairs and Harry was stretched out on the rug in front of the fireplace. Fred and George, tired of waiting for Hermione to announce her findings, had disappeared to their room. Astrid had just about worn out the bell Dennis, Jason and Sawyer had given her to ring when she needed anything. In turn, Dennis, Jason and Sawyer left the three fifth years alone to go to their rooms, tired from running up and down the stairs. Slowly the common room completely emptied, save the three friends.

            "Fred's magic is 37.2% stronger in the presence of George," Hermione finally announced.

            "You've made us waste an hour conducting tests plus another 45 minutes waiting on your analysis for you to come up with that one bit of information?" Ron asked. Hermione silenced him with a wave of her hand.

            "Fred's magic is 37.2% stronger around George. George's is 35.3% stronger around Fred. The twins' magic increases on an average of 12% around Ron, and only 8% around Ginny. George's increases just a bit around Angelina while Fred's doesn't increase at all around her. The exact opposite is true about them in reaction to me. They have no reaction to Natalie McDonald and Harry, well…" Hermione rattled her results off but trailed off when she reached Harry.

            "It's not my fault your magic meter blew up when I hit it with that spell!" Harry exclaimed.

            "Right Harry 'let's see how strong my summoning charm that's summoned people, desks, and a broom from half a mile away is' Potter," Ron laughed. Harry rolled his eyes and glared playfully at Ron.

            "So what exactly do your results mean?" Harry asked, trying to ignore the fact that he had, in fact, blown up the meter Hermione had devised to measure the strength of a person's magic when he hit it with his summoning charm.

            "It means that the twins' magic is stronger because they're twins," Hermione says.

            "And this relates to Harry's dream how?" Ron asked.

            "If Keiran or Astrid is, in fact, the child in the dream, then the other twin has a connection even if they didn't want to," Hermione explained.

            "OH!" Ron exclaimed.

            "So you're saying if Keiran is the child in the dream, and Voldemort is giving him some sort of power, then Astrid is getting some of the power basically by guilt through association?" Harry asked.

            "That's exactly what I'm saying," Hermione said. 

            "WAIT!" Ron cried. He tried to stand up but ended up getting his large feet tangled together. He landed face down in the floor next to Harry.

            "What?" Hermione asked.

            "Astrid's mysterious ankle pain!" Ron cried, jumping to his feet, obviously excited. 

            "Astrid's ankle pain?" Harry asked.

            "YES!" Ron cried.

            "What does that have to do with anything?" Hermione asked.

            "I think that's what he's trying to figure out with this new brand of sign language he's created," Harry laughed. Ron was pacing about his chair, waving his arms about excitedly.

            "She said it was like Harry's scar!" Ron cried.

            "WHAT?" Harry and Hermione asked at the exact same time.

            "Like Harry's scar!" Ron cried again.

            "My scar?" Harry said.

            "Only in principle!" Ron replied.

            "Ron! Sit! Breathe!" Hermione instructed. Ron sank down into his chair and ran his fingers through his bright red hair, making it stand wildly on end.

            "Now start from the beginning," Hermione said.

            "When I was carrying Astrid back from the hospital wing, she said she could walk. I wouldn't let her and she insisted that the pain wasn't in the joint of her ankle. I asked her what she meant by that, and she explained that she had a situation sort of like Harry's scar with her ankle, but she basically said it wasn't a scar and didn't mention it being courtesy of Volde-," Ron made another attempt on the name. "You Know Who either."

            "So you're basically saying Astrid has a dark mark only not given to her by Voldemort on her ankle?" Harry asked.

            "Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying," Ron said.

            "But Voldemort is the only one who does the cursed tattoo thing," Harry insisted.

            "Harry, Lucius Malfoy is right hand death eater. I wouldn't put it past him to put the dark mark on his children," Hermione pointed out. 

            "Only Voldemort can make the dark mark," Harry said.

            "So what if Lucius did something like that to make his twins more connected?" Hermione asked. 

            "Would he do that to his own children?" Ron asked. 

            "Well if she doesn't have a scar, I would tend to think so," Hermione said. "Voldemort couldn't have done the ankle bit if she's had it since she was younger."

            "What?" Ron asked.

            "She's four years younger than us. Voldemort fell when we were one," Hermione replied. 

            "So Lucius would have had to have done it had they had it sometime before our first year?" Harry said. Hermione jumped to her feet and started towards the portrait hole, muttering something about the library.

            "NO!" Ron and Harry both shouted.

            "The library will still be there in the morning," Harry said.

            "What are you going to research anyway?" Ron asked.

            "Barrett Malfoy," Hermione said, grinning at her friends. She started towards the girls' stairs, eager to get a jump on sleep so she could get to the library first thing in the morning. Ron and Harry both rolled their eyes again.

            "Goodnight Hermione!" they called after her retreating back. Harry picked up his potions book and opened it on the floor in front of him. 

            "Well, goodnight Harry," Ron said. He started up the boys' stairs. Harry heard the door click closed behind Ron and then he heard footsteps on the girls' stairs. He looked up to see Hermione walking back towards him.

            "So Mr. Potter, what exactly happened between you and Hannah tonight?" Hermione asked.

            "What makes you think anything happened?" Harry asked.

            "When you and Ron caught me and Fred in the library, Ron defended himself after the comment I made. You didn't," Hermione pointed out. Harry slammed the potions book shut before jumping to his feet.

            "I'll never kiss and tell!" He cried. He turned and sprinted up the boys' staircase before Hermione had a chance to reply. 


	27. Chapter 27

            Disclaimer: Still not mine. If you don't know what the last paragraph comes from then you are a deprived child. Hats off to S. Morgenstern and William something or other that starts with Gold who abridged it.

"They're most definitely still out there," Ginny laughed. She stepped away from the window and let the curtains fall together.

            "Boys," Hermione said, shaking her head. Jae stepped away from her closet holding her burgundy velvet dress robes.

            "Who all is out there?" she asked.

            "Well, our three dates, Ron, Harry, George, Lee, Seamus, Ernie, Justin, Colin, Jason, Sawyer, Dennis, and I think Neville is hiding in the bushes," Ginny laughed.

            "Poor Neville," Hermione said.

            "Who is he taking to the ball?" Jae asked, sinking back onto Piper McGowan's bed.

            "Susan Bones," Hermione replied.

            "Hufflepuff?" Jae questioned.

            "Yes," Ginny said. "His history partner as a matter of fact."

            "Better than taking you again," Jae declared.

            "And exactly where were you during the Yule Ball last year Miss Jae Not Telling Lucas?" Ginny asked. Jae coughed loudly.

            "What was that?" Ginny asked. "I didn't hear you. Speak up and don't cough."

            "I said I was sitting at home babysitting Liam," Jae muttered.

            "Liam?" Hermione asked.

            "Mine and 'Rissa's little brother. He's 10 now, he'll be here next year," Jae explained.

            "So wait, with siblings named Marissa and Liam, how did you end up with a name like Jae?" Hermione asked. 

            "Not telling," Jae replied.

            "It's not her first name or her middle name, a deviation of any of those, and, in fact, there aren't any J's anywhere in her names," Ginny said before Hermione could lead Jae through the series of questions the group had gone through the previous Saturday.

            "Right, then why did the sorting hat call you Jae Lucas?" Hermione asked.

            "It called me Virginia," Ginny supplied.

            "When I got my Hogwarts letter, I sent the hat a letter back threatening imminent combustion if it called me by my real name," Jae explained. "When I finally pulled the hat on, it informed me that my letter was the first it'd ever received. It was quite amused, saying I would be great in Slytherin."

            "And you're in Gryffindor how?" Hermione asked.

            "I'm as muggle born as you, dear," Jae said. "Me in Slytherin would go over as well as a Malfoy in Gryff… Oh wait."

            "How about Malfoy in Gryffindor?" Ginny asked, emphasizing the fact that she only meant a certain male Malfoy in Hermione's year.

            "You know what I meant!" Jae insisted with a laugh. Ginny and Hermione both rolled their eyes at the girl.

            "What are the kids planning to do tonight?" Hermione asked. She dragged a brush through her hair. 

            "I think Sawyer said something about an Exploding Snap marathon," Jae laughed. "And Fred and George taught them how to get to the kitchens so they're also thinking about meeting the house elves. 

            "How should I do my hair?" Ginny asked, surveying herself in the mirror and completely ignoring the line of conversation Hermione and Jae were following.

            "How about the way you had it when you went out with Braeden last summer," Hermione suggested.

            "That was cute," Ginny agreed.

            "We could curl the top part a bit more and maybe leave a few more framing pieces down," Hermione said.

            "Perfect!" Ginny grinned. "What are you doing to your hair?"

            "I was thinking of leaving it down and then curling it and tying the front back from my face," Hermione explained.

            "That will be really cute!" Ginny squealed.

            "What about my hair?" Jae asked. She ran a hand over her hair. During the second week of school, Jae had cut her long chocolate brown hair off to about four inches from her head. Since then, she had changed the color about once every two weeks. It had been just about every color of the rainbow including scarlet with gold highlights for the Gryffindor Quidditch match. 

            "Maybe you could," Hermione began but then trailed off. She didn't really have a suggestion for Jae.

            "Ask Lavender and Parvati. Maybe they'll have an idea," came Ginny's completion to Hermione sentence.

            "Do I gotta?" Jae asked.

            "It might be in your best interest. And you might want to do something about the color of your hair too," Hermione suggested. Jae stood up from Piper's bed.

            "I like my hair!" she called as she walked out of the door. "It's Christmas-ey!"

            "It's weird," Ginny said just as the door shut behind Jae. Jae had chosen the Gryffindor scarlet base for her hair, but rather than the gold highlights, she had added bright green stripes in honor of the impending holiday.

            "And it's going to look simply fantastic with her dress robes!" Hermione laughed.

*****

            "Do you think maybe we should go in and start getting ready for the ball?" Lee asked. Harry glanced down at his watch.

            "Maybe," He replied, ducking a snowball Ron slung at him.

            "What time is it?" George asked.

            "5:30," Harry replied.

            "And the ball starts when?" George queried.

            "Seven," Harry replied.

            "Oh, we've got plenty of time," Lee laughed. He used his want to shake the bushes Neville had taken refuge in, causing snow to cascade down onto the pudgy blonde boy. 

            "Harry, weren't we meeting everyone at 6:15 to exchange gifts?" Ron asked. Harry stopped dead in his tracks and turned to his friend.

            "I'VE GOT FIRST SHOWER!" he cried. He turned on his heel and sprinted towards the castle.

            "I'll take that as a yes," Ron joked as he tore after his friend. Justin, Ernie and Colin had gone in hours before. Astrid had come and collected the younger boys. Only Seamus, Dean, Kyle, Fred, George, Lee and Neville remained. Neville shakily emerged from the bushes. 

            "Does this mean it's over?" he asked. 

            "Not hardly!" Lee cackled. He pointed his wand at the snow at Neville's feet and motioned it upwards. The snow flew up and covered Neville.

            "Lee Jordan!" Seamus cried.

            "That was uncalled for!" Dean added. The two remaining fifth years had pulled their wands and pointed them at the group of seventh years. Kyle stepped behind them and he, too, pulled his wand. The three younger boys quickly motioned circles in the snow around the seventh years. All of the snow surrounding the boys flew up, covering the twins and their friend.

            "THIS MEANS WAR!" Fred yelled as he shook snow out of his shaggy red hair.

            "You're going to die if you don't get up here and get ready! The girls are on the war path!" a voice called from high in the castle. They turned to glance at the castle and saw a miniature Harry standing in one of the windows of the tiny Gryffindor tower waving furiously. 

            "Uh-oh!" Lee and George cried simultaneously. They looked at each other, surprised, and then turned to Fred.

            "I thought you and I were supposed to do that," George said. 

            "You can sort that out later," Seamus insisted. "I'm not ready to face the wrath of Lavender if I'm late for the ball or if I'm not impeccably dressed." He hurried towards the castle with Dean and Kyle in his wake. 

%%%%%

            "What did you finally end up buying Mandy for Christmas?" Harry asked as he stepped away from, the window.

            "I went with your idea for Hannah and got her a picture frame," Ron replied. "You know if you don't hurry up with your shower, I'm going!" Harry quickly grabbed his shampoo, clean boxers and a towel from the shelf in the corner and started towards the bathroom. Ron threw open the bottom drawer of his night stand and pulled out his presents for Mandy, Justin, Ernie and Hannah. Granted, he had just bought the boys and Hannah candy. His present for Mandy was slightly more meaningful and less edible. He picked up the picture frame had had chosen for Mandy. He hadn't wrapped it yet because he was going to get Colin to take a picture of the two of them at… the… YULE BALL!!

            "HARRY!!" Ron shouted. He sprang from his bed and sprinted towards the bathroom. He flung open the door and stepped into the already steam-filled room.

            "HARRY!!" Ron shouted again. Harry's shampoo-covered head appeared in a crack between the shower curtain and the wall.

            "Merlin Ron, can't you see I'm quite busy here?" Harry asked.

            "Our presents for the girls won't be ready in time for us to give them before the ball!" Ron cried. 

            "What?" Harry asked, pulling his head back into the shower.

            "We got picture frames with the plans to have Colin take pictures of us at the ball. Problem being, we're exchanging presents BEFORE the ball!" Ron cried.

            "Problem being?" Harry asked.

            "Harry man, I think the steam is clouding your brain," Ron declared.

            "Get Colin to be really annoying about taking pictures before we exchange gifts. He should be able to have it ready by the time we're through exchanging gifts," Harry explained logically. 

"Is that what you're doing for Hannah?" Ron asked.

"I'm taking a bit of a different approach with Hannah's gift," Harry said. 

"Harry man, you're a genius!" Ron cried. Harry turned the water in the shower off.

            "I'm a genius who is getting ready to get out of the shower," he said. "So I suggest." Ron turned and headed out to find Colin before he could hear the rest of Harry's suggestion. He ran into Dean, Seamus and Neville on his way out.

            "Hey Ron," Seamus said. Ron ignored him and kept on his mission for the annoying fourth year photographer.

            "COLIN!" Ron screeched when he stepped out onto the landing.

            "What?" Colin called from the fourth year boy's dorm.

            "I need a favor!" Ron exclaimed.

            "Well come here and we'll discuss it," Colin said.

            "Has he calmed down any?" Harry asked, stepping from the bathroom, towel slung loosely about his hips. 

            "No, I don't think so," Seamus laughed. Harry pulled his plain black dress robes from his closet. 

            "What's his problem?" Dean asked.

            "Girl trouble," Harry replied, rolling his eyes. Dean and Seamus both laughed nervously.  "He's having issues with his Christmas gift for Mandy."

            "What did he get her?" Seamus asked.

            "A picture frame. His plan was to put a picture of the two of them from tonight in the frame, but, well, we're exchanging gifts before the ball," Harry laughed. 

            "And he didn't think about THAT when he agreed to exchange presents then?" Seamus questioned.

            "You know Ron," Harry laughed. He pulled his glasses from his face and wiped them on his towel to remove the steam from the lenses. 

            "So wait, does this mean I can have my shower now instead of waiting on him?" Seamus asked.

            "Go for it," Harry said, "but don't whine if he flattens you for taking his spot." 

%%%%%

            "AARRRGGGGHHHHHHH!" 

            "Jae, you sound like a pirate!" Hermione admonished.

            "You would too if your head hurt as badly as mine does," Jae said, glaring at the older girl. 

            "Go see Madame Pomfrey?" Ginny suggested.

            "It's not a head ache as much as it's a hair ache. Lavender and Parvati were trying to rip my hair out when they did it," Jae said, running her hands lightly over the still red and green stripes. Lavender and Parvati had lengthened Jae's hair considerably. Then they twisted the back into thin rows up her head. At the top, they gathered all of her hair into a ponytail, before curling small pieces into a fountain of curls.

            "It looks nice," Hermione offered.

            "It doesn't scream Jae Lucas though," Jae said. Hermione pulled out her wand and pointed it at Jae's head.

            "I never said I WANTED it to literally scream my name," Jae exclaimed before Hermione could fire off her spell. Jae pulled out her own wand and pointed it at her head.

            "I've simply got to do something about this," Jae insisted. She stepped in front of the mirror and began muttering spells. A minute later, she turned around and faced her two friends.

            "How is this?" she asked.

            "Well, the way you had it was prettier, but this is definitely more Jae," Ginny admitted. Jae had charmed all of her hair off to make it all about three inches long. Then she charmed it to stand up in crazy spikes all over her head. It was still red and green. Jae turned her wand on a headband lying on her bedside table. She said a couple of spells and the headband turned into a wreath of burgundy and off white dried flowers with burgundy ribbons.  

            "Perfect," she laughed. She picked up her dress robes from her bed and started towards the bathroom.

            "What do you think?" Hermione asked, turning so Ginny could see her finally completed Hair.

            "Hermione, it's PEFECT!" Ginny gushed. Hermione had started at the sides of her head, right at her temples. She took a piece of hair at each side and pulled it straight back. She picked up another piece from just behind it and pulled it out to the side. Then she let the first piece fall over second piece and picked up a third piece. She twisted the second and third pieces around each other, dropped the second piece and picked up a fourth piece. She continued until the two sides met at the back and she had a wreath of twisted hair on either side of a jeweled clip that held the entire design together. Pieces of hair hung down from the twists at even intervals, showing how loose the entire design was. She had carefully curled each piece of her hair until it was all softly curly rather than crazily bushy. 

            "You really think so?" Hermione asked.

            "Yes," Ginny replied. She was leafing through a book trying to find one more spell to complete her makeup. Some things were just better left to magic. Hermione had already completed her make up, so she pulled her robes from Ginny's closet, where she had stored them earlier. 

            "TA-DA!" Jae called, stepping from the bathroom. She extended her left arm at an angle from her body down to her side, and held her right arm at an identical angle over her head.

            "Jae, those robes are so," Ginny paused to search for the right word.

            "You," Hermione replied. Jae smiled widely and smoothed her robes. The robes were a dark burgundy velvet. The neckline started right at the bones of her shoulders and scooped in almost dangerously low. The sleeves were tight on her arms until her elbows where they split and fanned out. They also turned sheer when they reached the split. The sheer material was vaguely sparkly. The sleeves at the split hung down almost a foot from her arm when she extended her arms out to her sides, but fell nicely over her hands when she held her arms normally. The robes hugged her slim figure until the waist where they flared out into a wide sweeping skirt. The skirt had a split up the front right to her navel where clasps should have been. Instead, she wore a pair of tight burgundy pants underneath. 

            "You think so? Rissa designed them for me and then made them," Jae said. 

            "Really?" Hermione asked.

            "Yes. She's quite good at things like this, and in fact, wants to be a designer after she graduates," Jae said. She picked up the wreath from her bedside table and turned to the mirror. She placed it lightly among the red and green stripes of her hair. 

            "Oh wow this color has got to go!" Jae cried when she looked at herself fully in the mirror.

            "Black," said the mirror.

            "What was that?" Jae asked.

            "Black," the mirror repeated.

            "I think she's got it," Jae replied.

            "I'm not a magic mirror for nothing," the mirror said. Jae pointed her wand at her head and whispered a spell. Her hair instantly turned dark black.

            "Almost perfect," Jae muttered, whispering another spell. Bits of her hair turned the same dark burgundy as her robes, but that was only noticeable if the light hit her hair the right way. She adjusted the wreath in her hair again and turned to her friends.

            "Much better," Hermione said.

            "MUCH!" Ginny agreed. Hermione gathered her robes and headed to the bathroom, while Ginny jumped on to her bed and pulled the hangings, creating a fairly effective dressing room. Hermione had already fixed her hair, so she simply pulled on her robes. Her hair was very reminiscent of the way she had it done the night of her date with Braeden. Hermione had simply curled the top a bit more and left four strands down to frame her face rather than just two. 

            "How do I look?" Ginny heard Hermione ask.

            "Simply Slytherin," Jae laughed. Ginny opened her hangings just in time to catch the glare Hermione shot Jae.

            "Hermione, they're great. And Jae, that is NOT Slytherin green," Ginny insisted. 

            "No, it's not," Jae agreed. " And you look simply fantastic." Hermione's robes were a dark almost forest green. They had a square, lace edged neckline. The sleeves went all of the way to her wrists and ended in a thin cuff of lace. The bodice was fitted and connected to the skirt in a V shape with another row of lace. The skirt was long and flowing and fell completely to the floor, totally hiding Hermione's shoes. The bottom of the skirt was edged with the same lace. 

            "Well Ginny," Jae said, turning to where her friend had her head stuck between two of the hangings on her bed. Ginny pushed back the hangings and stepped off of the bed. 

            "Wow!" Hermione said.

            "Your robes are gorgeous," Jae breathed. Ginny spun around twice so her friends could get the full effect of her robes. The top of her robe from the high neckline to just below her arms, sleeves included, was made of sage green lace. Just below her arms, a sage green top began under the lace. In the back, the lace continued to her waist. The skirt flowed out around her feet and the lace trailed off to just cover the back of the skirt.

            "Isn't that lace kinda itchy?" Jae asked.

            "Madame Malkin put a few charms on it," Ginny admitted with a laugh. 

            "Well ladies, are we ready?" Hermione asked.

            "You've got to go now. We're meeting our dates at 6:45," Jae said. Mandy, Ernie, Justin and Hannah had exchanged presents with Ginny a couple of days earlier because she wanted to stay with Jae while the rest of the group agreed to meet before the Yule Ball.

            "Oh yeah!" Hermione cried. She turned and grabbed her school bag, where she had stored Hannah, Justin, Ernie and Mandy's presents. She threw it over her shoulder and hurried from the room.

            "It's about time," Ron called from the common room when she appeared on the landing. He and Harry were sitting quite uncomfortably on one of the couches, both looking fabulous in their black dress robes. Ron had actually taken time to gel his short red hair forward, giving it a textured look. Harry had shortened his hair a bit and used gel to make sure it stuck out everywhere. The look worked really well for him.

            "You look great, Hermione," Harry said, hoping to cover for his friend's thoughtlessness. Hermione smiled and blushed slightly.

            "Fred will absolutely be blown away," Colin agreed. He was sitting across from Harry and Ron wearing navy blue dress robes.

            "So are we ready?" Hermione asked.

            "Yes," Ron said, jumping to his feet.

            "Someone's anxious," Hermione laughed. Ron rushed towards the door and Harry, Hermione and Colin struggled to keep up with him. 

            "He's having issues with Mandy's gift," Harry explained.

            "Did he not think about not having the picture?" Hermione asked. 

            "Nope," Harry laughed.

            "So what did you get Hannah?" Hermione asked.

            "You'll see," Harry said with a smile. "Actually you probably won't. I want to wait till it's just the two of us to give it to her." He turned bright red. 

            "So how are you going to explain that to everyone else?" Hermione asked.

            "I've got a picture frame to give to her now with instructions about the rest of her present," Harry explained. He was still bright red. 

            "That's sweet," Hermione said.

            "What did you get everyone?" Harry asked.

            "Well, I got the boys both copies of Quidditch Through the Ages and the girls both journals," Hermione explained.

            "Do you have a journal?" Harry questioned.

            "Yes. I've kept one basically since I learned to write," Hermione said. "It's a very relaxing thing. You should try it."

            "Tell me when I have time to keep a journal. Tell me when YOU have time to keep a journal," Harry laughed. 

            "I make time," Hermione explained. Ron spun into the empty Charms classroom where the group had agreed to meet. 

            "Sorry we're late," he apologized as Harry and Hermione entered closely behind him. Colin was a few steps behind them.

            "Oh it's alright," Justin said from his perch a table in the front row.

            "It's perfectly fine," Ernie agreed from where he sat next to Justin.

            "The girls are taking forever," Justin laughed.

            "They should be here soon," Ernie added. "Hopefully." Harry and Ron laughed and shook their heads.

            "We know how that is," Harry said, casting a pointed look in Hermione's direction.

            "Hey, it takes time to look this good," Hermione insisted with a laugh.

            "And you do look fantastic," Justin agreed. Ernie nodded.

            "Thanks guys," Hermione said with a slight smile. 

            "Hey guys, are they here yet?" a voice from the hall called.

            "Yes Mandy, we're here," Harry laughed. Mandy and Hannah stepped into the room at the exact same time and narrowly avoided getting stuck in the door side by side. Mandy wore a dress robe made of light purple silk-like material. It was off the shoulder and had long sleeves that came to points at her middle fingers. The top was form fitting and the skirt flowed out. The skirt had a light purple chiffon overlay. She wore a diamond-looking choker. Her chocolate brown hair was twisted into a tight knot, reminiscent of Hermione's hair at the Yule Ball the year before. Hannah's robe looked like a combination of Jae's and Hermione's in a royal blue material. The neckline was much like Hermione's robes, while the sleeves were like Jae's. Hannah's sleeves didn't flare at her elbows though, but instead at her wrist with the flare flowing down to all but cover her hands. The skirt was more like Jae's only instead of pants, the split in Hannah's skirt was filled with a second slightly darker blue skirt. Her blonde hair was twisted into a French twist, but rather than curling the top bits, she had let them stick up just a bit. Hermione glanced over at Harry and Ron. Neither boy had said anything, but they hadn't looked away from the girls either. Hermione stepped on Ron's heel and poked her finger into Harry's side. 

             "PICTURES!" Colin screeched, running from the other side of the room.

            "Presents first," Justin insisted.

            "PICTURES!" Colin said, glaring at the much taller fifth year.

            "Pictures," Justin agreed. 

            "Get with your dates, you two," Colin said, turning to Ron and Harry. Ron and Harry walked towards the two girls. 

            "Ron and Mandy first," Colin insisted. Ron and Mandy stepped off to the side. He dropped his arm around her shoulders and she curved her arm around his waist. 

            "Say," Colin paused for a moment. "I don't particularly care what you say. Just smile." Ron and Mandy complied with his instructions and he snapped a picture of the two.

            "Harry and Hannah," Colin insisted. Harry and Hannah stepped over to where Ron and Mandy had been standing. Harry opened his arms to Hannah and Hannah wrapped her arms around his waist. He curled his arms around her shoulders. She rested her head on his chest and he pillowed his head on the top of hers. They both faced Colin.

            "Ooh, don't smile!" Colin instructed. The couple attempted to remain serious. Colin snapped the picture. "That's going to be cute!" he cried. "Now look like you're actually happy to be standing that close to each other." Harry and Hannah both smiled shyly and Colin snapped the second picture. "Perfect. Now everyone pile in. I will have my camera at the ball so if any of you others want pictures of you with your dates, just come find me." Mandy, Justin, Ernie, Ron and Hermione all stepped towards Harry and Hannah. Harry and Hannah broke from their hug and turned to their friends. Mandy stepped next to Hannah and Ron stood on the other side of Mandy. The girls quickly hugged each other and the boys put their hands on the girl's shoulders. Justin and Ernie stood sheepishly on either side of Ron and Harry. Hermione surveyed the group for a moment before stretching out in the floor at everyone's feet. She did, however, cast a spell to make sure the floor was clean before she lay down in her dress robes. 

            "One… Two… Three…!" Colin snapped the picture. "Oh, those are going to be great!" he cried, and he left the room as quickly as he had entered.

            "PRESENTS!" Justin exclaimed.

            "Is he always like this?" Ron asked.

            "Every Christmas morning since first year," Ernie laughed. Justin hurried over and picked up his school bag. He pulled out three packages. 

            "One for you," he handed the largest of the three to Hermione. "One for you." He handed a smaller box to Harry. "And one for you." He handed Ron a box identical to Harry's. Ernie followed Justin closely with his presents for the three. Hannah handed Harry his present first, followed by Ron and then Hermione. Hermione pulled out her wand and summoned her bag. She pulled out her presents and passed them each to their recipient as they walked by. 

            "We'll get to ours after everyone is done," Harry said as an attempt to cover for Ron's lack of a present for Mandy at the time. 

            "Who wants to go first?" Hannah asked.

            "ME!" Justin squealed.

            "How did I know that was coming?" Hannah laughed, but Justin had already begun ripping into his present from Hermione.

            "Quidditch Through the Ages! Thanks Hermione, I've always wanted to read this book but haven't ever been able to get it from the library because someone keeps it checked out most of the time," he exclaimed, casting a pointed look in Harry's direction.

            "Don't look at me, I've had my own copy for a while now," Harry laughed. 

            "Wow Justin, I think that very well may be a new speed record," Ernie laughed. He began pulling away the paper from his own copy of Quidditch Through the Ages.  "Thanks Hermione," he said when he opened it. He turned to look at Hannah. She began tearing into he present from Hermione. When she found the journal, she turned to the Gryffindor witch.

            "Thanks. I just finished my old one and was going to write mum to send me a new one!" she said. Mandy, noticing the similarity between hers and Hannah's presents, had opened hers at the same time. 

            "Thanks Hermione," Mandy agreed. Hermione looked down on her own stack of gifts. 

            "Go for it," Justin urged. Hermione tore into her presents. When the wrapping paper blizzard had settled, she was left holding Revealing Your Inner Vixen (Justin), The Ministry Of Magic: All You Ever Wanted To Know (And Some You Didn't) (Ernie), The Taming Of The Shrew (Hannah), and Hogwarts Head Girls; 1655-Present (Mandy).

            "Thanks guys!" she squealed. She was already flipping through the pages of the ministry book.

            "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. She may want to go read for the rest of the night rather than go to the ball," Harry laughed. 

            "Pictures!" Colin cried, running back into the room. He waved several pictures in his hand.

            "Most of these turned out fabulous!"

            "Most?" Ron asked.

            "Sorry, the one of you and Mandy didn't take," Colin said. He winked twice at Ron. The angry blush creeping up Ron's face quickly subsided. Colin had slipped the box with Mandy's present into Ron's bag before he announced his presence in the room. He handed the pictures to Hannah. "Thanks guys, I've gotta go," he said, and left, again as quickly as he had entered. Hannah flipped through the pictures, took copies of the ones of her and Harry and the group, and then passed them around. Each person picked their own copies while Ron tore into his gifts.

            "CANDY!" Ron exclaimed, looking down at the boxes of Bertie Botts', Chocolate Frog's and Drooble's Best Blowing Gum he held in his hands. He picked up the remaining box in his pile and carefully removed a chocolate frog from the top before tearing the wrapping off. He pulled out a plain black picture frame, complete with picture of him and Mandy taken just moments before. He immediately turned bright red. 

            "I really like it," he said, wondering what he could do about the almost identical present in the box for her.

            "CANDY!" Harry cried. "And a book about seeking!" Ernie and Justin had given him candy while Mandy had chosen a book about Hogwarts most famous seekers. Then Harry picked up the remaining very thin package. He carefully removed the wrapping paper.

            "The Giving Tree," he whispered when the paper had finally fallen away from the green book. He looked over at Hannah, attempting to control the tears in his eyes.

            "Thank you," he mouthed. No sound came out. She smiled shyly at him and then stared intently at her shoes. 

            "Right then, presents from us!" Ron exclaimed, grabbing his bag. He quickly handed Mandy, Justin, Ernie and Hannah their gifts.

            "CANDY!" Justin cried before Ron had completely finished passing out the presents.

            "Candy," Ernie laughed as he pulled the wrapping from his box of Chocolate Frogs.

            "Boy aren't we original. We all managed to get each other the same thing," Justin laughed as he opened a box of Bertie Bott's from Harry.

            "Justin man, you really need to slow down with that present opening, you're taking all of the surprise out of this," Ernie scolded as he began tearing the paper off of his box of beans. 

            "I second that motion," Hannah laughed. She hadn't even begun opening her box, but could tell what it was by the identicalness to the boys' gifts. 

            "I'm special!" Mandy laughed as she opened her picture frame. "And I'm also scared of this." She laughed when she saw the frame charmed to look like the night sky containing the same picture she had given Ron. She held the picture up for everyone to see. 

            "That's only slightly creepy," Hannah laughed. "The two of you shouldn't think so much alike." Ron, noticing that Mandy liked her present despite it being identical to what she had given him, willed his face to return to its normal color. Hannah started opening her present from Harry while Mandy pulled the wrapping from a box of Bertie Bott's. Inside the box, Hannah found a picture frame charmed to look like the sunrise at her spot next to the lake. The picture frame was empty save a scrap of parchment that said; "To Be Continued," in Harry's neat print.

            "Now that THAT'S settled, thanks guys. Let's go dance!" Justin cried. 

            "Where are you guys meeting your dates?" Hermione asked.

            "The entrance hall," Ernie replied.

            "Me too," Hermione said, "So we're all headed the same direction." Harry had asked Dobby earlier if he would move their presents back to their rooms for them. Justin started out the door with Hermione and Ernie close on his heels. Ron offered his arm to Mandy. She placed her hand at his elbow and the pair went after their friends. Harry smiled down at Hannah. He reached down, took her hand in his, and led her towards the door. 

*****

            "Hermione," Fred gasped as his girlfriend descended the steps towards the entrance Hall.

            "ELISE!" Justin cried, running towards his date. Ernie followed a bit slower over to where Elise and Amanda stood. 

            "Hey Fred," Hermione said with a slight wave. Fred looked quite handsome in robes of a deep charcoal grey. He had combed his short hair to make it all point in the same direction, rather than wherever as it usually did. 

            "You look spectacular," Fred whispered. Hermione smiled shyly as she stepped over to him. He dropped his arms around her shoulders and landed a quick kiss on her lips. 

            "That's quite enough of that," Ron said, stepping off of the bottom step with Mandy still holding his arm. Harry and Hannah were only a few steps behind the pair, still holding hands. Hermione and Fred both spun and glared at the youngest male Weasley. 

            "So are we ready to go in?" Fred asked as Harry and Hannah joined the group.

            "Where are George, Angelina, Lee and Marissa?"  Harry asked.

            "They're already inside. They decided to sit with Katie and Alicia," Fred replied.

            "Who did Katie and Alicia bring?" Hannah asked. The Gryffindors all laughed.

            "After a messy break up between Katie and her boyfriend from home, and Alicia's break up with Coltan, the two girls have sworn off boys for, well, they say forever," Fred laughed.

            "Which means?" Mandy questioned.

            "They brought each other to the ball," Harry said.

            "Technically they both came alone. Their plan is to dance with all of the guys instead of just one," Hermione explained.

            "The two of you should probably watch out," Fred warned, "Katie and Alicia will most likely want to dance with Harry and Ron." Mandy and Hannah both laughed easily.

            "That's okay," Mandy said, "We'll let them."

            "But only for one dance each," Hannah joked. 

            "So are we going in?" Hermione asked, looking towards the doors of the Great Hall.

            "After you," Fred said. He placed his hand on the small of Hermione's back and gently pushed her towards the door. Ron and Mandy followed the pair, and Harry and Hannah went after them. Justin, Ernie and their dates had a table with Colin Creevey and his date, Cheyenne Williamson on the Hufflepuff side of the room. Fred and Hermione led the way to a table between the one occupied by George and his seventh year friends and the slightly larger one occupied by Kyle and Jae, Seamus and Lavender, Dean and Ginny, and Parvati and her date, none other than Slytherin Blaise Zabini. 

            "Padma almost had kittens when she found out who her sister was attending the Yule Ball with," Mandy laughed quietly as the six friends took their seats. 

            "As well she should have," Ron said. Harry and Hermione both glared.

            "She also almost had kittens when she found out who I am attending the Yule Ball with," Mandy muttered. 

            "WHAT?" Ron asked. "Just because she was a stick in the mud last year!"

            "Ron man, think of what you're saying!" Fred exclaimed, cutting his brother off mid sentence and reverting to the previous line of conversation. "In saying that it is bad for Parvati to bring Blaise to the ball, you're also denouncing your bringing Mandy and Harry's bringing Hannah."

            "We're not Slytherins!" Hannah insisted, "but I do see your point."

            "Maybe he's not as bad as some of them," Harry suggested.

            "She didn't bring Malfoy," Hermione added, "so it could definitely be worse."

            "And you've seen the two of them in Care of Magical Creatures and Potions. They actually seem to get along quite well," Harry said. 

            "So wait, you guys have Care of Magical Creatures and Potions with the Slytherins and Herbology and History of Magic with us. Why don't you have any classes with the Ravenclaws?" Hannah asked.

            "Do you have classes with all three other houses?" Hermione asked.

            "Yes," Hannah replied. "We have the two with you all, and then Care of Magical Creatures and Potions with the Ravenclaws and Transfiguration, Charms and Defense with the Slytherins." 

            "Oooh! Ooooh! Points for Miss Brocklehurst! I actually know the answer to this one!" Mandy laughed, waving her hand in the air slightly. 

            "So why don't we have classes with you guys?" Ron asked.

            "I asked Professor Dumbledore the same question when we were first years and he said the sheer intelligence of one of the Gryffindors wouldn't mix well with the more pretentious members of my house," Mandy replied. 

            "Which means," Fred prompted.

            "Loosely translated from Dumbledore-ese, it means Hermione and Terry and Morag wouldn't get along at all," Mandy said with a slight smile. Hermione's jaw dropped.

            "So that's what the hat meant when it tried to put me in Ravenclaw," she said. 

            "How did you end up in Gryffindor?" Fred asked.

            "I had a slight crush on a boy I met on the train who I figured would be in Gryffindor, so I basically begged the hat to put me in Gryffindor. It decided that I was showing bravery by begging to be the intellectual amongst the lot of you, so it went ahead and put me in Gryffindor," Hermione admitted.

            "Who was the boy?" Ron asked, raising a questioning eyebrow at Hermione.

            "I'd rather not say," Hermione replied, looking down at her plate rather nervously. 

            "Who was it?" Ron asked again.

            "You can tell us," Harry added. Hermione cut her eyes upwards at them.

            "I'd really rather not," she said. 

            "If we guess will you tell us?" Ron asked.

            "Um," Hermione began.

            "NEVILLE!" Harry and Ron chorused.

            "No," Hermione replied.

            "Well he was the only boy you came into contact with on the train besides," Harry trailed off mid sentence.

            "Besides the two of you. And yes, it was one of you. I'd rather not say which," Hermione said, turning redder than her boyfriend's hair. Harry and Ron exchanged a nervous glance over the top of Hannah's head.

            "It only makes sense that it was Harry. You wouldn't have known enough about me to have a crush on me," Ron reasoned.

            "Okay yes. I had a stupid celebrity crush on Harry," Hermione said, looking back down at her plate.

            "Don't worry Hermione, I think we all did," Hannah said.

            "Doesn't look like Hannah's gotten over hers yet," Mandy quipped, causing both Harry and Hannah to turn bright red. 

            "Welcome all to this years Yule Ball!" Professor Dumbledore called from the head table, effectively ceasing the verbal lashing Mandy was about ready to receive from her best friend and said best friend's crush object. 

            "I hope everyone has a fantastic time. You may begin ordering your food whenever you want to, as the elves are now ready to comply with your requests." The six friends picked up the menus from the table in front of them. 

            "Look's like Dumbledore is going for a mostly international menu this year," Fred commented as he surveyed the mostly Italian contents of the menu.

            "As it's Dumbledore, I'm quite surprised the menu doesn't consist solely of candy," Harry laughed. Ron, Hermione and Fred all laughed appreciatively, but Hannah and Mandy, who had only been to Dumbledore's office once, didn't quite understand the joke. 

            "Lasagna," Hermione said clearly to her plate. A moment later, the plate was filled with a pile of steaming Lasagna.

            "Hey Hermione, do you see the food we had at your house this summer anywhere on the menu?" Ron asked.

            "I see it, but I'm certainly not telling you what it is," Hermione said.

            "Why not?" Ron asked.

            "Because we're wearing dress robes and I, for one, certainly don't want to be showered with your food because you have more fun hammering it than eating it," Hermione explained.

            "What were you eating?" Mandy asked, as an attempt to get Hermione to say the name of the food for Ron.

            "I'll tell you after Ron has food on his plate," Hermione insisted with a glare at Harry that told him not to say a word to his best friend. Hannah, Harry and Mandy all chose lasagna also, while Fred and Ron finally chose Fettuccine Alfredo. 

            "So where is everyone going for Christmas Holidays?" Fred asked as an attempt to make conversation.

            "The Burrow," Harry, Ron and Hermione chorused.

            "Okay, everyone besides the three of them," Fred laughed.

            "Home to London," Hannah said.

            "You live in London?" Fred asked.

            "Yes," Hannah replied. "Mum and I have a flat not to awfully far from Kings Cross."

            "And you, Mandy?" Fred asked.

            "I'm going to Hannah's flat. Her mum has agreed to let me and Carter stay for the holidays since Drew, Kevin and Lennon still refuse to talk to Carter," Mandy replied. 

            "Did the two of you know each other before coming to Hogwarts?" Hermione asked the two girls.

            "We certainly did," Mandy replied.

            "We've known each other basically since we were born," Hannah agreed.

            "How?' Harry asked. Hannah and Mandy both chuckled lightly.

            "It's a rather funny story actually," Mandy said.

            "Are you going to tell us?" Ron asked. 

            "Well, my mum used to date her older brother Lennon," Hannah laughed. "Then she met my dad and had me, but my dad ran off to America before I was born. Lennon's mum had Mandy. "

            "Lennon and Shylaur were still friends even after Hannah was born and everything, so they used to take us to the park and let us play together," Mandy explained.

            "Then we went to the same school and I suppose the rest is history," Hannah laughed.

            "So wait. Your mum dated her brother?" Harry asked Hannah.

            "Yes," Hannah replied. "My mum was only 17 when she had me." 

            "So if your brother and her mum were to get back together, you two would be sisters?" Ron guessed.

            "I'd be her aunt," Mandy corrected.

            "Which is amusing because I'm older," Hannah laughed.

            "Only by two months," Mandy spat.

            "So when are your birthdays?" Hermione asked, glaring at her two best friends with hopes they'd make note of the dates the girls supplied.

            "February 28th," Hannah replied. 

            "April 14th," Mandy said.

            "Hannah, we'll have to throw ourselves a massive party," Ron laughed. "After all, we only turn 16 once."

            "Are our birthdays the same?" Hannah asked.

            "Not quite," Ron replied through a mouth full of fettuccine, "You're a day older than me."

            "Okay then. We should definitely have a party," Hannah laughed. 

            "So when are your birthdays?" Mandy asked.

            "July 31st," Harry replied.

            "September 19th," Hermione said.

            "So you're either way older or way younger than the rest of us," Mandy said, hoping Hermione would take her statement as a question.

            "Younger," Hermione replied.

            "Oh wow, so I'm the oldest!" Hannah laughed.

            "Yes," Mandy said. Hannah smiled broadly.

            "No you're not," Fred said, glaring playfully at the girl. 

            "Okay, well, I'm the oldest fifth year," Hannah corrected herself.

            "When is your birthday?" Mandy asked Fred.

            "June 12th," Fred replied.

            "So yours, George's and Ginny's birthday's are in June?" Hermione asked. 

            "Bill's and Percy's too," Ron laughed. 

            "When are Bill's and Percy's?" Hermione asked.

            "Bill's is the 6th and Percy's is the 23rd," Fred supplied.

            "What are the odds that of seven children, five would have birthday's within the same month?" Hermione asked.

            "Well, it would certainly depend on the birthdays and anniversary of the parents," Mandy said.

            "AND we're going to stop THAT line of conversation right now," Fred said before Mandy could go any farther. "These are our parents you know."  Ron and Harry both shuddered visibly. The remains of dinner disappeared from their plates. Dumbledore tapped his fork against his goblet and the hall fell silent.

            "For the remainder of the evenings entertainment, I give you Celestina Warbeck!" Dumbledore cried. A single witch walked out onto a platform that had been constructed in the corner. A few couples headed towards the dance floor and Dumbledore began making the empty tables disappear.

            "Fred?" Hermione asked.

            "I've worn my Quidditch boots," Fred replied.

            "Are you THAT rough on his toes?" Mandy asked.

            "Quite the opposite actually," Fred laughed, "I'm the terror on the toes and so Hermione stands on my feet to keep me from stepping on her." Mandy turned to Ron.

            "From what Padma tells me, I probably should have worn my Quidditch boots," she joked.

            "There's only one way to find out," Ron said, standing up and offering Mandy his hand. She placed her hand in his and stood up. The couple quickly made their way to the dance floor. 

            "Hannah, to be perfectly honest, I'm a totally rotten dancer," Harry said. Hannah smiled softly.

            "Don't worry, mum made me take dancing lessons from the time I was three until I started Hogwarts, I'm sure we'll be okay," she laughed.

            "Just let her lead," Hermione advised as she and Fred trailed after Ron and Mandy. Harry stood and offered his hand to Hannah. She took it and they headed off towards the dance floor. 

*****

            Hannah was right, the she and Harry were just fine when it came to dancing. He allowed her to lead in most dances, and they were easily one of the best dancing couples on the floor. Hermione and Fred joined Angelina and George in their typical "we're going to slow dance even if this song is fast" routine in the center of the dance floor. They were only interrupted briefly by Katie and Alicia, who proved what horrid dancers the twins really were. Ron and Mandy realized after about three songs that both of them should have worn their Quidditch boots for their dancing to be effective, so they retired to a corner to talk to Neville and Susan and only dance the slow songs. 

            "It's ridiculously hot in here," Hannah said as she and Harry broke for some butter beer around 11. They had been dancing pretty much continuously for the past three hours. 

"Where are Ron and Mandy?" Harry asked. Hannah scanned the crowd quickly. "I think they're still over in the corner talking to Susan and Neville." 

            "Then would you care to go for a walk to get some fresh air?" Harry asked.

            "Certainly," Hannah replied. Harry held out his hand. Hannah curled her fingers into his and the pair started towards the door. They quickly exited the Great Hall and were met buy an angry Snape patrolling the doors to the outside.

            "You may only go outside if you stay in the approved area," Snape snapped as he pulled open the front door. Harry and Hannah quickly stepped through and Snape let the door crash shut behind them. Hannah shivered a bit. Harry pulled out his wand and pointed it at the door of the castle. 

            _"Accio cloak," he said. A moment later, he held his heavy winter cloak in his hand. _

            "Is your spot within the approved area do you think?" Harry asked. Hannah looked over towards the lake. 

            "It looks to be," she replied. 

            "Shall we?" he asked. He held out his arm to her.

            "We shall," she replied. 

%%%%%

            "Well guys, I think we're going to go attempt to dance," Neville said, glancing over at Susan. He stood up and she followed close behind him. 

            "Aren't they cute?" Mandy asked as the pair retreated to the dance floor.

            "In a very," Ron searched for the right word. "In a very odd sort of way." 

            "Yes, I would definitely call it odd," Mandy agreed. Ron rolled his eyes and laughed at the girl. "Harry and Hannah just left the hall."

            "Maybe the boy has finally gotten the nerve to make things official with her," Ron laughed. Mandy shot a pointed look in Ron's direction. 

            "Hopefully he has," Mandy said. Ron didn't catch the meaning behind her look. He reached over and took her hand anyway.

            "I've really had a fun time tonight," he said, looking directly into her eyes. 

            "Me too," she said, quite amazed at Ron's sudden urge to hold hands with her. She smiled shyly up at him. 

            "Maybe we could do something, just the two of us, after Winter Holidays," Ron suggested.

            "I'd like that," Mandy agreed. The song changed to a very slow tune.

            "Care to dance?" Ron asked, standing up.

            "Certainly," Mandy replied. She stood up and allowed herself to be led onto the dance floor. 

%%%%%

            "Wow, the stars are beautiful," Hannah said, looking up at the sky. Harry quickly conjured a waterproof blanket and spread it out over the snow. He sat down and looked up at Hannah.

            "You can sit now if you'd like," he said.

            "I should have summoned my cloak too," Hannah said. She sank onto the blanket next to Harry. Harry whispered a charm to make his cloak slightly larger. He slid around behind Hannah and bent his legs up. She leaned back against his chest and propped her arms up on his knees. He tossed his cloak around both of them and she leaned her head back onto his shoulder so she could look at the stars. He slid his arms around her waist and looked out across the lake. 

            "What was the rest of my Christmas present?" Hannah asked softly after a moment. 

            "Well, as I gave you a picture frame, I figured I should explain why there wasn't a picture in it," Harry said.

            "Okay," Hannah replied.

            "Well. I thought about doing what both Ron and Mandy did," Harry began, "but then I decided I wanted to be a bit more selfish about the whole ordeal."

            "Selfish? How?" 

            "I guess by not putting a picture in the frame I'm trying to say that I hope there will be plenty of times in the future for the two of us to have pictures made together so you can pick the one you want," Harry said. 

            "And that's selfish how?" Hannah asked.

            "It's selfish because I'm basically asking the most beautiful witch in Hogwarts to be mine," Harry whispered. Hannah gasped just a bit.

            "If you don't like the idea of having a boyfriend," Harry began mumbling.

            "No Harry, I don't like the idea of having a boyfriend," Hannah said. She couldn't quite see him, but Harry's face fell. "I love the idea." Harry sighed and smiled. She moved closer to him and he leaned his cheek over on the top of her head. 

%%%%%

            "Why is George dancing with Katie again?" Hermione asked from her spot in Fred's arms.

            "That's a really good question," Fred laughed, "I wonder where 'Lina is." 

            "It looks like she's over there with Alicia, Ginny, Dean, Seamus and Kyle, probably discussing the finer points of chasing," Hermione laughed.

            "So how many times have George and Katie danced?" Fred asked. "Seven or eight?"

            "I thought nine," Hermione replied. 

            "That's only slightly odd," Fred said.

            "I'm with you on that one," Hermione laughed. 

            "Where are Seamus and Kyle's dates?" Fred asked.

            "Standing just behind them looking bored out of their minds," Hermione said. 

            "And where are your friends?"  Fred questioned.

            "I haven't seen Ron and Mandy lately and Harry and Hannah left over a half an hour ago," Hermione explained. 

%%%%%

            "You know, if we start walking back now, we should be able to dance the last song," Hannah said, finally lifting her head off of Harry's shoulder. The new couple had been sitting in their spot, wrapped in Harry's cloak for the past 30 minutes. Harry peeled off the cloak and stood up. He helped Hannah to her feet and draped the cloak around her shoulders. A quick Finite Incantatem fixed the blanket and the couple started back towards the school. They walked in complete silence through the gardens near the lake where Harry and Ron had heard Hagrid's confession to Madame Maxime the year before. As they neared the statue Harry and Ron had stopped at, they noticed two pairs of feet sticking out from under a bush. 

            "Oh wow, I think we better not disturb anything," Harry laughed as the two began to walk past the feet's owners.

            "I know those shoes!" Hannah whispered. Harry stopped and looked down at the feet.

            "Wait, I know those other shoes," Harry said. 

            "RONALD ALROY WEASLEY!" Harry cried.

            "AMANDA LEIGHANNE BROCKLEHURST!" Hannah shouted at the same time. A mad dash to extract them selves from behind the bush ensued for Ron and Mandy.

            "Bloody hell Ron, you could have picked somewhere better than behind a bush!" Harry scolded.

            "Mandy, what are you doing out here where anyone could catch you?" Hannah asked. Ron and Mandy emerged from behind the bush looking very guilty and extremely sheepish. Ron's hair was a mess and Mandy's lips were quite red. 

            "What do you have to say for yourselves?" Harry asked. Mandy looked over at Ron and smirked.

            "Alroy?" came her only comment. Ron turned on Harry. Before he could say anything, Harry took off running towards the castle. Ron chased after him. Hannah turned to her best friend with a smile.

            "So is he a good kisser?" she asked. Mandy simply smirked and walked after the boys. Hannah laughed and followed her friend. The pair caught up with Ron and Harry at the Entrance to the school.

            "We're just in time for the last dance," Ron said, pulling open the door. He grabbed Mandy's hand and pulled her towards the Great Hall. Harry took Hannah's hand and they started after their friends. 

            "This is the last song of the night," the singer said, "so grab that special someone and make it the dance to remember."

            "I'm officially worried," Hermione said. "Katie and George are dancing together and Angelina is off with Kyle. Jae and Dean are dancing together and it looks like Ginny is sitting down furiously writing something."

            "Probably a love note to Braeden," Fred laughed. He turned his girlfriend so she couldn't see their friends anymore. He pulled her closer to him and she rested her head on his chest. He leaned down and dropped a soft kiss on the top of her head. Suddenly he was aware of two more couples on either side of them. He glanced over to see Ron and Mandy on one side, and Harry and Hannah on the other. 

            "Ron," he hissed. "You've got leaves in your hair." 

%%%%%

            Harry held out his arms to Hannah and she stepped close to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her as close as she would get. He rested his cheek on her head and closed his eyes. The pair swayed in time to the music, aware of nothing happening around them. The song played on. The last chorus came and Harry and Hannah were still wrapped in each other's arms in the center of the dance floor. The song was almost over. Harry leaned down and dropped a soft kiss on the top of Hannah's head. Just as he did, the song ended and the lights in the hall began to flash on. Hannah turned her face towards Harry's, not opening her eyes. Harry leaned in. There have been five great kisses since 1642 B.C. when Saul and Delilah Korn's inadvertent discovery swept across Western civilization. (Before then, couples hooked thumbs.) And the precise rating of kisses is a terribly difficult thing, often leading to great controversy, because although everyone agrees with the formula of affection times purity times intensity times duration, no one has ever been completely satisfied with how much weight each element should receive. But on any system, there are five that everyone agrees deserve full marks.

            Well, this one left them all behind. 


	28. Chapter 28

            Disclaimer: We don't own these. Though if we allowed our inner Slytherins to take over much longer we might steal them.

"Are you sure you don't want to change your mind about the ball?" Pansy asked Draco. The pair were seated in chairs on opposing sides of the fireplace in the Slytherin common room.

            "For the last bloody time, I'm not going to the ball with you, Pansy!" Draco spat.

            "Draco, you not attending the ball with me will displease your father greatly!" Pansy tried a different tactic.

            "Finley's family is more thoroughly pureblooded than yours," Draco snapped.

            "Draco, you said," Pansy began.

            "Okay, I lied. I'm a bad person. Can we move on?" Draco asked before Pansy could finish her sentence. She glared at Draco.

            "Can't Finley?" Pansy began.

            "Finley is my girlfriend," Draco interrupted.

            "Oh Drakie, don't say that," Pansy cried, clamping her hands over her ears as if Draco's words were painful.

            "She will not be going anywhere with Casey Warrington and I personally don't see why you were idiotic enough to agree to go with him," Draco continued.

            "Who is forbidding me to do something?" Finley, ever the feminist, asked from the top of the stairs leading down to the girls dorms. 

            "I was simply suggesting to Pansy that you wouldn't appreciate being asked to go to the ball with Casey Warrington," Draco explained.

            "I don't see why anyone would want to go ANYWHERE with Casey Warrington." Finley shuddered visibly at the idea. 

            "For the LAST BLOODY TIME!" Blaise screeched running into the common room.

            "How vaguely familiar does that sound?" Draco quipped, flashing a smirk at his girlfriend from across the room.

            "I will not go to the ball with you, Karen," Blaise continued.

            "What about?" Taylor began.

            "I will not go to the ball with you either, Taylor!" Blaise cried. He propelled himself over the arm of Draco's chair into Draco's lap. "Help me Draco!"

            "PERSONAL BUBBLE!" Draco screeched. Blaise looked innocently up at Draco.

            "Drakie!" Pansy whined.

            "Blaise-ey," Karen and Taylor chorused. Finley added her own round of laughter from the top of the stairs.

            "Do you think if we scream at them they'll go away?" Blaise asked Draco.

            "Nah, they'll probably just cry," Draco said. Blaise looked thoughtfully at the three advancing girls.

            "Draco, forgive me," Blaise whispered, looking up at his roommate. He clamped his hand on Draco's face, letting his thumb fall across Draco's mouth. He instantly pressed his mouth against his thumb. Draco's muffled mumbling protest cut through Karen, Taylor and Pansy's anguished cries and Finley's maniacal laughter as though he and Blaise were actually enjoying their fake kiss. In on fluid motion, Draco stood and dumped Blaise on the floor.

            "We'll finish this later," Draco spat. He, of course, meant he'd kick Blaise's arse later. Pansy, Karen and Taylor, of course, took Draco's statement a completely different way. Blaise sprang to his feet and ran from the common room.

            "Or we can finish this now!" Draco muttered. He sprinted after Blaise. Pansy released another anguished shriek. Karen gasped and buried her face in Taylor's shoulder. Finley flashed an evil smile at the three girls.

            "I've got to get in on this!" She cried, running after her boyfriend. She stepped through the door out of the common room. The door morphed closed behind her. She looked back in the direction of the three girls.

            "Did I just say that?" she asked no one in particular. "Oops, I simply meant I want to see this!" She heard hysterical laughter coming from a small alcove down to her right. She followed it. She stepped around the corner to find the two fifth year boys sitting on the floor.

            "That was absolutely fantastic!" Draco crowed.

            "You were bloody brilliant!" Blaise agreed. The pair looked up at Finley.

            "You two mean you planned this?" Finley asked. Draco and Blaise both nodded mutely. 

            "We've had the plan since just after Halloween." Blaise finally found his voice.

            "What do you have to say for yourselves?" Finley asked, taking on what she hoped was a disappointed motherly tone. 

            "We're bloody brilliant," Blaise said after a few moments consideration. Draco nodded.

            "I must agree with you," Finley laughed, extending a hand to each of the boys. They grabbed her hands and she made something of an effort to pull them to their feet. They eventually stood up on their own. Finley stepped over to Draco.

            "So you're not cheating on me with Blaise?" Finley asked. 

            "Oh please, Blaise-ey is SO not my type," Draco lisped. Blaise looked over at Draco, wide-eyed.

            "I'M JOKING!" Draco cried. Blaise's breathing became steady and regular again.

            "It's just weird to hear you joke," Blaise said before heading back towards the common room.

            "What can I say?" Draco asked quietly after his friend's retreating back. "Some people just make me want to," he paused for a moment and shuddered. "Behave." Finley cut her eyes up at her boyfriend in a questioning glare. He dropped a quick kiss on one of the blue streaks in her hair. "Okay. Some people just make me want to act like slightly less of a bastard. How's that?"

            "Better," Finley said. Draco smirked down at her. She stood on her tiptoes and dropped a quick kiss on his lips.

            "I'm off to get drop dead gorgeous so Pansy will have one more reason to hate me!" she said. Draco smirked as he watched his girlfriend of the past two months walk towards the Slytherin common room. She said the password, stepped inside and the door closed. Only then did Draco decide to follow her. He whispered the password, "Blaise Zabini is the most gorgeous thing on the face of the planet" and wondered who exactly had put Karen and Taylor in charge of creating the passwords. At any rate, he supposed their passwords were good enough, as most people would probably guess words and phrases dealing with the Dark Lord, serpents, and purebloods to be the password to the Slytherin common room. Once inside the common room, he made a beeline for the boy's stairs to avoid the mass of sobbing girls seated around the fire. Karen and Taylor had obviously taken his and Blaise's little show to heart, while Pansy's expression said she knew something wasn't quite right about the entire situation. He ran for the stairs and thundered down them. At the bottom, he went to the end of the hall and took a left, and to the end of that hall and took another left. At the end of the third hall, he whispered another password to open the door to his dorm room.

            "Karen Moon and Taylor Nott are the most annoying people on earth." Okay. So whoever had put Karen and Taylor in charge of the common room passwords had put Blaise in charge of the dorm room password. The two tended to balance each other out quite nicely. 

            "Are they still out there?" Blaise asked before Draco had really managed to step through the door.

            "Yep," Draco replied with a laugh, "Karen and Taylor look absolutely distraught. Pansy just looks a bit confused."

            "Finley's not mad at you is she?" Blaise asked, looking up at his roommate. Blaise was lying stretched out on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Blaise's bed was the one on the far left. Draco stretched across the bed directly next to the door on the left. Crabbe had the bed across from Draco while Goyle's was across from Blaise's. 

            "No, she was quite amused," Draco assured his friend. Blaise had been scared of Finley since he and Draco hatched the plan to try to rid him of the nuisances that were Karen and Taylor. "I told you she would be."

            "Yes, well, you never can be too cautious when kissing someone's boyfriend. Especially if you're a guy," Blaise laughed. Draco picked up a pillow and threatened to throw it at Blaise. 

            "I'm just saying, that was a little weird," Blaise insisted. 

            "Well if it worked," Draco said.

            "True," Blaise agreed. "Where are Crabbe and Goyle?"

            "I'm not quite sure. I haven't exactly seen them since lunch," Draco replied.

            "Who are they taking to the ball?" Blaise asked.

            "Not quite sure of that either. As a matter of fact, who are you taking to the ball?" Blaise instantly turned bright red. He had been hoping to avoid addressing the topic with any of his housemates until he actually showed up at the ball with the girl he had asked.

            " Um actually," Blaise began.

            "Is it one of Fin's dorm mates?" Draco asked.

            "Not exactly," Blaise replied.

            "So she's older than us, because you certainly wouldn't be taking Millicent and she's the only girl left in our year," Draco reasoned. 

            "No, she's our age," Blaise said.

            "You're taking Millicent?" Draco asked.

            "NO!" Blaise exclaimed.

            "Then who?" Draco asked.

            "Actually," Blaise began again. 

            "Ravenclaw?" Draco guessed. "Because Patil is the only Gryffindor worth looking at, and Hannah Abbott completely lost the standing as the hottest witch at Hogwarts when she started going around with Potter. None of the other Hufflepuffs are anything to look at. However in Ravenclaw you have Morag McDougal AND Padma Patil in our year." 

            "Patil," Blaise finally replied.

            "Oh, Padma," Draco said. "Good job man. She's easily one of the five best-looking witches in school. She just needs to ditch the scholarly Ravenclaw look occasionally."

            "The OTHER Patil," Blaise said, throwing his arms over his head in a futile attempt to protect himself from Draco.

            "You're going to the ball with a bloody GRYFFINDOR??" Draco roared.

            "You just said it yourself that she was the only one in that house worth looking at," Blaise insisted. "And you ranked her identical twin sister as one of the top five witches in Hogwarts!"

            "Yes, well, the Gryffindor branch of that family loses points specifically because of her house affiliation," Draco spat. He was bordering on irrational.

            "What is your problem with Gryffindor? Your sister is in that house," Blaise pointed out. 

            "Captain Obvious, meet Blaise Zabini," Draco said. 

            "So if Padma is one of the top five witches in Hogwarts, who are the other four?" Blaise asked in a last ditch effort to save himself before Draco's temper fully erupted. His statement did the trick. Draco's eyes instantly glazed over as he thought about all of the girls in the school.

            "Do you want my objective opinions or my biased opinions? And are we basing this on looks alone or on looks and personality?" Draco asked.

            "Looks alone, and objective opinions. You can't say Finley specifically because she's the only one who will give you the time of day," Blaise joked, "and this is top five from the fourth years and above."

            "Of course. Anything below that would just be sick," Draco insisted. "Ask Kei if you want opinions on those girls."

            "So who are they?" Blaise asked. 

            "Can I remove the factors of certain extenuating circumstances?" Draco requested.

            "If you're saying you want to ignore the fact that Hannah and Harry are doing whatever Hannah and Harry are doing that they think they're hiding from everyone, then no," Blaise insisted. 

            "Okay then. Number one would definitely have to be Ari Smith," Draco said.

            "I'm assuming she's getting bonus points specifically because she's a Slytherin," Blaise laughed.

            "Of course," Draco said. He personally didn't see anything wrong with being slightly biased, and she definitely lost points in the intelligence area, so without the few extra bonus points, she'd definitely not be number one. "Number two is Finley. Give her another year and she'll be number one."

            "You can't pick all Slytherins," Blaise insisted.

            "Of course not. After Ariadne and Fin, are there any hot Slytherin girls left?" Draco asked.

            "I get your point," Blaise laughed.

            "Okay, after Ari and Fin, I've got to go with Cho Chang," Draco said.

            "Potter liked her last year," Blaise pointed out.

            "But she was quite intelligent enough to reject him," Draco countered. Blaise shrugged.

            "Padma is number four," Draco continued.

            "And number five?" Blaise asked.

            "Parvati," Draco said. 

            "Parvati?" Blaise asked.

            "Yes, Parvati," Draco replied.

            "Parvati over Hannah? Parvati the Gryffindor?" Blaise asked.

            "Parvati the pure blooded Gryffindor over Hannah the Potter-loving mudblood," Draco reasoned. "Who do you think the top five are?"

            "Number one is Hannah, Potter or no Potter," Blaise said. "Two is Parvati."

            "Come on here, this isn't the hottest witches in fifth year," Draco warned.

            "Hannah, then Parvati. Number three is probably Ari. Number four is Finley and then I'm going to have to go with that Gryffindor seventh year."

            "Which one, there are like ten," Draco said.

            "There are actually only six girls," Blaise replied. "The one with the sister."

            "Like I'm supposed to know about the families of the bloody Gryffindors!" Draco exclaimed.

            "The one with the striped hair?" Blaise asked.

            "Yes, the fourth year," Draco replied. "Not her!"

            "No, not her. Her sister!" Blaise insisted.

            "Oh, I know which one you're talking about now!" Draco cried. "But specifically on her house orientations, I still leave her out of my top five." 

            "That has got to be the biggest pile of shit I think I've ever heard!" Blaise cried.

            "And you're a disgrace to Slytherin house, more than half of your top five are mudbloods" Draco insisted. He had played along with Blaise's little rate the girls game long enough. He quickly ripped the curtains of his bed closed, effectively ending their discussion. Truth be told, he could only tolerate Blaise in small doses. Their relationship had been as such since they were little children forced to play together at parties thrown by the Malfoys. And now, Blaise was the only intelligent conversation Draco could find in his room. Blaise wasn't necessarily a bad person, in fact, he bordered on being a good person, and that was what irritated Draco so much about him. Blaise had opinions about matters that went completely against the way the world was supposed to work. For instance, he had landed himself in the hospital wing for a week back in third year courtesy of Marcus Flint and some of his lackeys. Blaise had questioned their use of the word mudblood, suggesting that muggle born might be a better alternative, and Marcus and co. decided to teach him a lesson. After that, Blaise had learned to keep his opinions to himself, but they still showed through at times. For instance, in taking Parvati Patil to the Yule Ball. No Slytherin in their right mind would take a Gryffindor to some place as public as a ball at Hogwarts. If it didn't require so much effort, Draco would teach Blaise a lesson himself. He made a mental note to discuss the possibilities of a "conference" with Blaise with Crabbe and Goyle later. 

            And then there was Finley. Finley was completely unlike every girl Draco had ever met. He had known her since they were young. She, too, had been forced to attend his parents' parties with her parents. Gregarious and carefree, Finley would say and do anything. Her sarcasm kept her in trouble, but as she got older she learned to harness it. While Finley didn't exactly despise mudbloods as Draco did, she didn't necessarily believe they were worth befriending. As a general rule, she tried to be nice to at least the members of her own house and make Draco work to do the same. Something about Finley made him comply with her requests. Of course, he hadn't taken to being nice, and he certainly hadn't rescued any kittens, but he just didn't let every comment that went through his head fly out of his mouth. That seemed to please Finley. And he had to admire her determination. Draco hadn't planned on having a girlfriend. Something about his bad boy image made girls drool, and he liked that. But then came Finley with her insistence on spending time with him. Her sarcasm and intelligence helped her gain favor with him. The fact that the Alexander family was as historically rich and pureblooded as the Malfoy family didn't hurt her. The fact that she was drop dead gorgeous was the real clench in her winning over Draco. He had asked her out in early October and the rest was history. 

            "Draco, man, you should probably start getting ready if you're actually planning on going to the ball," Blaise called from somewhere in their room. Draco pushed back the hangings on his bed and stood up. He completely ignored Blaise as he walked over to his closet. He pulled out his black dress robes and headed towards the bathroom.

            "We've got two hours," Crabbe said dumbly from his bed.

            "It will take Draco that long to fix his hair," Blaise insisted. Crabbe looked over at Goyle and scratched his head dumbly. Both boys were visibly unsure of whether to laugh at Blaise's attempt at a joke. 

*****

            "Draco stepped out of the shower and slung a towel loosely around his waist. He walked over and looked at himself in the mirror.

            "More hair potion," the mirror advised. Draco stuck his tongue out at his reflection but mostly at the mirror.

"And don't do that tonight, you'll scare the girl," the mirror scolded. Draco crossed his eyes at the mirror.

            "Mr. Malfoy, much ore of that from you and I'll certainly crack!"

            "You haven't already from seeing Crabbe and Goyle after they get out the shower?" Draco asked, quite seriously.

            "I close my eyes for those rare occasions," the mirror admitted. "Of course, they don't have quite your hygiene habits, so those are very rare occasions indeed." The fifth year Slytherin boys were the only group in the castle lucky enough to have a mirror not simply charmed to inflate the ego of any one who looked in it. The fifth year Slytherin boys' mirror had once been a boy. During his seventh year, he made one of his roommates mad. The mad boy, thorough a series of irreversible spells, transfigured the first boy and sentenced him to life as a mirror with a personality. Legend held that none other than Tom Riddle had created the mirror. Whether or not that was actually true remained to be seen. The mirror claimed he had been created by Salazar Slytherin, himself. That, of course, was not true. So mostly the boys simply enjoyed having conversations with the mirror. Or turning it to face the wall, whichever the case was.

            Draco picked up a bottle of hair potion from one of his shelves in the bathrooms. Not Sleakeasy's for Draco. No. Narcissa had Draco's hair care products imported directly from France. He flipped open the top of the bottle and poured a liberal amount into the palm of his left hand. He muttered a spell and his hair was instantly dry. He shuddered at the sight of himself with out his hair slicked back. He used his right hand to push his hair back away from his face and then rubbed the hair potion in with his left. He quickly whispered the charm to make the hair potion harden when his hair was more perfect than usual. He surveyed himself in the mirror closely. 

            "Yes you are perfect, yes you look great, insert typical magic mirror drivel here," the mirror muttered. Draco glared at his reflection. 

            "Okay, that makes you loose points on the perfectness scale. I'd refrain from doing that if I were you," the mirror warned. 

            "Well, I'm still miles ahead of you," Draco spat at the mirror. "You know you're fast headed towards staring at the wall for the rest of the night. Either that or I'll shrink you and hide you in Crabbe's boxers while he's in the shower."

            "Talk about cracking!" the mirror cried.

            "On several different levels," Draco laughed. The mirror instantly began to cloud itself over.

            "Hey, don't do that!" Draco protested.

            "Then don't mention parts of Crabbe's anatomy that no one wants to think about!" the mirror cried. Draco shuddered. "See, I told you no one wants to think about it." 

            "Are you quite through in there?" Blaise asked banging on the door to the bathroom.

            "Shove off, Zabini. You can have the bathroom as soon as I get ready. You don't have to look good for your bloody Gryffindor anyway," Draco shouted. 

            "Zabini, look good?" The mirror asked. "Don't make me laugh." Draco laughed silently at the mirror. He picked up his toothbrush and toothpaste from another one of his shelves. He quickly brushed his teeth and looked at himself in the mirror one last time. 

            "Now if you REALLY want to impress the girls, wear exactly what you've got on," the mirror instructed. Malfoy glanced down at the fluffy white towel still slung about his waist. He smirked at the mirror before turning to the bathroom door. He opened the door and was instantly almost bowled over by Blaise Zabini in his rush to get to the shower. Draco stepped into the room and pulled the door shut behind him. He walked over to his trunk and popped it open. He pawed through it until he found what he wanted, black pants and a white linen button down shirt. He dropped the towel from his narrow hips and pulled on the pants. They fit snugly around his well-developed posterior but then were straight legged. He quickly pulled on the shirt and buttoned it up, tucking it into his pants as he went. He stepped over in front of the mirror in the corner and surveyed his outfit.

            "Absolutely superb," the normal wizarding mirror gushed. Draco rolled his eyes at it and stepped over to the wardrobe he and Blaise shared. He threw open the doors and took out his black dress robes. He looked down at the thin black material in his hands and took a deep breath. Inevitably, any dress robes reminded him of the first time he'd ever worn that type of garment.

&&&&&

            "Why ya gotta wea-uh that?" a small girl with curly blonde hair asked. She was seated in the middle of a large wooden four-poster bed spread with a green comforter. Her legs stuck straight out in front of her, short summer sundress not starting to cover the myriad of bruises caused by childhood clumsiness on her little shins. 

            "I've got to go to a meeting," an older boy, of about 10 said. Actually, he was 11. It was his eleventh birthday, in fact. He surveyed himself in the full-length mirror that stood in the corner of his room. He straightened the black dress robes his parents had bought for him specifically for the occasion.

            "A meeting about what?" the little girl asked.

            "Daddy's business," the boy explained. 

            "Oh," the little girl replied. She reached down and scratched her knee. "Why do you gotta go to daddy's business meeting?"

            "I'm not quite sure," the boy said.

            "Do I get-a go?" the girl asked.

            "No babe, this is for big people only," the boy explained.

            "But yoh not a big puhson," the girl said. She stood up in the center of the bed.

            "I'm big enough to know better than to stand on my big brother's furniture," the boy scolded. He could see his little sister in the mirror.

            "You don't HAVE a big bwother," the girl pointed out.

            "Thank you Miss Malfoy, for stating the obvious," the boy laughed.

            "What's the obvious?" the little girl asked, tilting her head in an entirely endearing way that showed she had no clue what her brother was talking about.

            "Nevermind," the boy insisted. The girl shook her curl-covered head at her brother. The boy adjusted his robes again.

            "Stop it," the little girl said, "you wook fine!" 

            "Babe, this is a very important meeting," the boy replied.

            "But it's yoh buhfday," the girl squeaked, "What kinda bufday pwesent is getting to go to a meeting?"

            "It's from Lucius," the boy explained.

            "Lucius is a bwoody wan-kuh!" the girl exclaimed.

            "I thought I told you to forget that phrase," the boy cried. The girl smiled sheepishly at him. He turned to face her.

            "So I look okay?"

            "You wook puhfect," the little girl said, extending her arms to her brother. He walked over and she leaped from the bed, catching her arms about his neck and clamping her legs around his waist.

            "You know Bear, you're getting a little too big for this," the boy said as he struggled under the added weight of his sister. She dropped a sticky kiss on his cheek. Her curls tickled his nose. 

            "I'w nevuh be too big foh this," she insisted. 

&&&&&

            "Draco," a voice said from across the room. Draco's head jerked up. He had been sitting on the end of his bed with his elbows on his knees and his forehead resting in his hands. 

            "What do you want?" he asked his two goons. He wasn't quite sure which of the two had spoken. 

            "We, uh," Crabbe stuttered. He looked at Goyle for help in finishing his sentence.

            "We, uh, need" Goyle echoed. Draco sniffed twice.

            "You need to bathe," Draco said before either boy could figure out the original purpose of their statement. He stood up and pulled his dress robes on, hooking the plain silver clasps on the front. He shrugged his shoulders to make the robes adjust themselves correctly and stepped back in front of the mirror.

            "You look excellent my dear," the mirror chirped.

            "Yes, but do I wook puhfect?" Draco thought bitterly. He stepped back towards his bed. The bathroom door crashed open and Blaise burst into the room amid a great cloud of steam and a string of muttered expletives about "nancy boys who take too damned long in the bloody bathroom." Draco shot him a visual Avada Kedavara. Of course it didn't work, and Blaise barely even noticed. Draco sank onto his bed and pulled his shoes from under it. He pulled out his wand and aimed it at his shoes. He muttered a spell to make them shiny before repocketing his wand and pulling his shoes onto his feet. He tied his shoes, stood up and turned to his roommates. Crabbe had taken off towards the empty bathroom as soon as Blaise had exited. 

            "How do I look?" he asked. Goyle grunted his response.

            "Like a bloody wanker," Blaise spat, glaring at Draco. His statement hit a verbal trigger that made Draco want to push Blaise against the wall and punch him until they both bled. Instead, Draco glared at Blaise and stormed from the room in a flurry of cloaks that would have made even Snape envious. He tore out of the dorm section of Slytherin house and up the stairs into the common room. The common room was empty save a group of first years playing pin the tail on the puppy in the far corner. Draco threw himself into his favorite chair next to the fire. One of the first years broke away from the game and started towards the fifth year. His absence caused the puppy to break away from the group and bolt towards the door. The first year took a seat in the chair Pansy had occupied earlier.

            "You not attending the ball with Pansy will greatly disappoint father," the first year said. Draco tore his eyes away from the fire and for the first time noticed Keiran sitting in the chair opposing him.

            "Kei, Pansy and I went over this earlier. Finley's family is more historically pureblooded than Pansy's. Why should father be upset?" Draco asked. 

            "I've got a question for you," Keiran said.

            "Shoot," Draco replied.

            "When Casey announces a meeting, how does he do it?"

            "He generally stands up and says Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, Nott, Parkinson and Malfoy follow me," Draco said.

            "Exactly. Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, Nott, PARKINSON, and Malfoy. Not Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, Nott, ALEXANDER, and Malfoy," Keiran spat.

            "I follow you Keiran, but I find your logic rather skewed," Draco said, glairing at his little brother. 

            How so?" Keiran asked. "And what if I told you from a good source that both Max and Juliet Alexander were being recruited by our Lord?"

            "I'd believe you and then ask why you're being such a bother if Fin's well on her way to being one of the group," Draco replied. 

            "But she's not yet. And what if her parents refuse?" Keiran asked.

            "Keiran are you daft?" Draco spat. "No one refuses the dark lord. Now I suggest you go help your year mates catch the puppy and return to the game." Keiran glared evilly at his older brother and stood up. He brushed off the front of his robes and looked at Draco.

            "Don't say I didn't warn you. I, for one, would be scared of the wrath of father when you get home tomorrow," he said. Without another word and before Draco could respond, he turned on his heel and stomped off to join the raucous chase the puppy was leading around the common room. Draco turned his attention back to the fire and drifted off to a mental neither land.

*****

            "Draco," Finley said when she stepped to the top of the girls' staircase. She could see her boyfriend sitting in his chair by the fire. He didn't respond and his eyes had a glazed over far away look that showed he had been thinking about something. She took two steps more towards him before pausing to look at him. 

            She had not come to school the previous September with the intentions of dating Draco Malfoy. In fact, she had always found Malfoy rather arrogant and annoying. But something changed over the summer. Something in the way of Malfoy grew about six inches. His shoulders broadened, and the muscles in his arms and legs gained definition. In the dictionary next to washboard abs, one could find Malfoy's picture. He wasn't so muscular that he was gross though. He had just the right amount of muscle to make most girls stop dead in their tracks. When they did start walking again, they were likely to slip in a puddle of their own drool. Finley shuddered at that mental image before turning back to her boyfriend. His hair was a bit longer, and while he still did the annoying bit with the hair potion, that was basically his only fault. Well, other than on occasion, his personality. But mainly, he was drop dead gorgeous, and best of all, he was hers.

            "DRACO!" Finley said, quite loudly. Draco jumped up, quite startled. He looked towards the direction of the voice. He found his girlfriend standing just in front of the girls' staircase, looking poised and ready to give Ariadne Smith a run for her title as Hogwarts' hottest witch. Finley's robes were of deep midnight blue velvet. They fit her upper body like a glove, and the skirt flowed out only slightly. It wasn't puffy like most skirts of dress robes, but flowed out enough that it would still spin out if she were to turn in a circle very quickly.  The long sleeves came to points at the base of her middle fingers. The collar of the dress came up to the base of her slender throat. Starting only a few inches below the collar, the dress had a teardrop shape cut out that pointed straight down about three inches. To either side of the middle cut out were two more cut outs. These two pointed down the lines of each of her arms. A blackish blue jewel of some sort held at the top points of the three cutouts. The back of her robe had a larger teardrop cut out. 

            "Draco," Finley said, worrying about the absentminded gaze her boyfriend had fixed on her. She ran her hand over her hair to make sure it was still in place. She had carefully twisted all of her long black hair with its permanent blue streaks into very neat dread locks all over her head. Well, not quite dread locks, but basically just twists. At odd intervals, she had pinned a twist or two to the top of her head, so those held in loops, forming a sort of a crown. Her make up was very simple at best. Black eyeliner, a little peach blush and clear lip-gloss.

            "DRACO!" Finley roared. Draco shook his head furiously and then looked at her.

            "I'm sorry Fin, it's just that you're so beautiful," he said. He closed the remaining distance between them and grabbed her right hand. He brought it up to his face, and looked down at her before softly brushing a kiss across her knuckles. She smiled sweetly up at him. He let his lips linger on her hand, his breath fluttering softly across her skin.

            "Draco Argentum Lucentio Malfoy!" a voice roared from just behind Finley. Draco hastily dropped Finley's hand and looked over her shoulder. Pansy stood at the top of the stairs dressed in hideous robes of horrific neon lime green. The robes were… too. Too short, too tight, too low cut. 

            "Someone's been talking to my grandmother," Draco mumbled. "It's Cullen, Pansy," Draco called to the girl.

            "Whatever. This is your last chance to get to take me to the ball," Pansy said. 

            "I'll go with you, Pansy," Draco said pausing just long enough for a hopeful look to cross Pansy's face. "I'll go to the ball with you the day Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape are caught shagging in the staff room cloak closet." Finley and Draco both shuddered at the sudden mental image. Pansy's face dimmed considerably before brightening again.

            "And you must remember dear, Imperius is quite illegal," Finley said as she placed her hand at Draco's elbow. He bent his arm slightly and looked down at his girlfriend.

            "Shall we?" he asked. She smiled up at him sweetly.

            "We shall." 

*****

            "So whose dates are whose?" Finley asked Draco through a mouthful of lasagna. The two were seated at a private table in the far corner of the Slytherin section of the great hall. Draco looked out across his classmates.

            "Well, it looks as though Ariadne is here with Roger Davies from Ravenclaw, another Ravenclaw sixth year, and Michael Pearson," Draco said.

            "How does she get to have three dates?" Finley whined.

            "Are you saying I'm not enough?" Draco asked. Finley rolled her eyes. 

            "If that was an attempt to get a kiss and me being sweet then it won't work Draco Cullen Malfoy," she spat. Draco had to laugh in spite of himself. 

            "Blaise, of course, is over in enemy territory," Draco said.

            "So THAT'S where he disappeared to," Finley laughed. "Wait, enemy territory?"

            "Gryffindor Patil and Blaise came together, "Draco explained. Finley shook her head and looked down at the table. "Who did his admirers finally decide to come with?" Finley laughed loudly.

            "Take a look," she said, nodding in the direction of Karen and Taylor's table. The two girls were seated with one Mr. Edwin Bole and one Mr. Milton Derrick.

            "That's absolutely fantastic!" Draco laughed, almost spraying linguine across the table. Bole and Derrick looked positively elated to have Karen and Taylor as their dates, while the two girls were busy craning their necks to try to see to the Gryffindor corner of the hall. 

            "I thought so too," Finley laughed. Draco looked around again.

            "And then of course, you have Pansy and Casey," Draco said, nodding at the horrific pair seated with some of Casey's sixth year friends.          "And to pretty much round out the team, Pucey is here with Debra Bulstrode."

            "Who is Millicent here with?" Finley asked. Draco nodded towards a table off to their left where three odd colored boulders sat huddled around. 

            "Crabbe," Finley said. "Or is that Goyle?" 

            "Um, no one is exactly sure. She's here with one of them and the other is tagging along, however which is which remains to be seen," Draco laughed. "I'm not even sure she fully knows which, and THAT could get interesting later on if you know what I mean," Draco raised both eyebrows at his girlfriend twice.

            "Oh god, think of the children!" Finley shrieked. 

*****

            "I give you Celestina Warbeck!" Dumbledore announced. The witch walked out onto a stage constructed in the corner of the Great Hall. Draco turned to Finley and held out his hand.

            "You can dance?" Finley asked.

            "I try," Draco said with a shy smile that was all to innocent to be truly innocent. Finley placed her hand lightly in Draco's. He pulled her to her feet and led her towards the dance floor. The song was a fast, almost swing number, so Draco instantly began spinning Finley about the floor.

            "You try?" Finley asked after a few moments of dancing with Draco. The level of Draco's talent as a dancer had barely taken time to register with her.

            "Please Finley, do you think Narcissa Malfoy would allow any of her children to leave home without at least two years of dancing lessons?" Draco asked.

            "Your mother made you take dancing lessons?" Finley asked.

            "Yes. She insisted that that's what well brought up wizarding children did. I had two years of lessons from private instructors," Draco explained. "But the other's got off easy."

            "How so?" Finley asked.

            "Well, after about eight months, Keiran, the traitor and Em were at one of their lessons. Kei wasn't particularly thrilled about being there so he 'accidentally' set the instructors robes on fire. Mum couldn't hire another teacher for them after that," Draco laughed.

            "Accidentally?" Finley asked.

            "As to whether or not that was truly an accident remains to be seen," Draco explained. Finley rolled her eyes.

            "I wouldn't put it past your brother to intentionally combust a dance teacher," Finley laughed.

            "Em insists it was quite intentional on Kei's part, and I have to say, I think I believe her," Draco said. He sent Finley flying into another spin and then quickly pulled her back against his body. The last few bars of the song began, and Draco quickly flipped Finley backwards across his arm and then leaned over and kissed her soundly on her lips. When she was finally upright, she looked directly into his eyes.

            "Wow that was fantastic," she said with a smile. Draco kissed her again.

            "I meant the dancing," she cracked. Draco rolled his eyes at her. Celestina Warbeck started into another song, this one slightly slower than the first. Draco flung Finley into another spin, but at the point where she was farthest away from him, he felt her flying out of his grip. Only then did he realize that he hadn't lost her at all, except to the guy that had cut in on them. A hulking figure in Slytherin green robes had interrupted the couple's dance. He looked closer at the guy and realized one Casey Warrington was now playing murderer to Finley's toes. 

            "Bloody hell," Draco muttered as soon as he realized who had taken his girlfriend from him. He felt a hand on his shoulder.         

            "Draco, it's time for you to dance with me," a familiar voice purred from just behind Draco's left ear. Draco, panicking, looked around the couples closest to him. Millicent and Crabbe were doing some sort of ungainly dance just beyond Finley and Casey. 

            "Come on, there is more room over here," Draco insisted. He started towards Millicent and Crabbe. Pansy, of course, followed him. He brought himself up even with Crabbe and Pansy moved to stand next to Millicent. At the last possible second, he half stepped in front of Crabbe and half shoved him out of the way, which wasn't exactly an easy task. Both Crabbe and Millicent looked surprised when Draco grabbed Millicent's hand. Draco glanced back at Crabbe.

            "Pansy wanted to dance with you," he explained. He tried to spin Millicent, but the girl wouldn't budge, so Draco simply began dancing sort of next to her while holding her hand. He peered around Millicent to where Pansy was wincing as Crabbe repetitively stepped on her toes. Pansy glared at him over Crabbe's shoulder. He smiled sweetly and waved at her. 

            "Pansy wanted to dance with Crabbe?" Millicent asked dumbly.

            "Um," Draco began.

            "Or did you just not want to dance with Pansy?" Millicent continued. Draco smiled.

            "Right in one, Millicent," Draco laughed. Millicent smiled.

            "At any rate," she said, "This will be fun to rub in her face tonight. I got to dance with the guy she's after. Just make sure you don't dance with her or you'll steal my fun." Draco was amazed. He didn't think Millicent capable of creating a sentence with more than five words. 

            "Did you hear about," Draco began.

            "Yours and Blaise's little escapade in the common room today? Oh did I hear about it. I was ready to come find the two of you myself and step on your heads." Draco cringed. He didn't doubt Millicent could carry out her threat very effectively. 

            "Do you think it worked?" Draco asked.

            "Well, I think Pansy is a little smarter than that, but now Karen and Taylor are trying to figure out exactly what they can do to get in on some, as they said, action between the two of you," Millicent explained. Draco shuddered.

            "Oh, I wouldn't worry too much, they're also trying to figure out where Finley falls into all of this," Millicent laughed. Draco was truly amazed. He was having a conversation with Millicent Bulstrode. He was pretty sure that was a first on any and every level.

            "You look surprised," Millicent said.

            "I am," Draco replied, "but probably not about what you think I'm surprised about."

            "You're surprised that I can talk," Millicent replied. Draco blushed a pale pink. Pale pink for a Malfoy was the same as fire engine red for a Weasley. 

            "Well, yes," he finally admitted.

            "Oh, it's alright," Millicent said. "I play dumb for a reason. If people aren't sure whether I'm mentally coming or going, they don't bother me too much."

            "That's absolutely fantastic logic, Millicent. I actually wish I had thought of that," Draco laughed.

            "But you're Draco Malfoy. I think everyone would still pay attention to you no matter what," Millicent reasoned.

            "Maybe not," Draco objected.

            "Do you REALLY think Pansy is after you to hold intelligent conversations?" Millicent asked. Draco shrugged. "I'll answer that for you," Millicent said. "Pansy probably doesn't know the meaning of the words intelligent conversation." 

            "I thought she was one of your best friends," Draco replied.

            "I tolerate her. She's the less of the three evils in my room. Karen and Taylor are simply horrid," Millicent laughed. Draco smiled at her.

            "Hey Mill, can I have my boyfriend back now?" Finley asked from somewhere just behind Draco.

            "Sure Finley," Millicent said. She gave Draco a shove towards his girlfriend. He stumbled a bit but finally managed to get himself turned around to face Finley. The song instantly switched to a slow song.

            "Pansy is about ready to murder you," Finley announced as she wrapped her arms around Draco's shoulders. Draco slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her completely against him.

            "I don't blame her," Draco said. He glanced over the top of Finley's head to where Pansy was attempting to explain to Crabbe exactly why she couldn't slow dance with him. 

            "I see you and Millicent seemed to be having fun," Finley said.

            "I actually had a conversation with Millicent Bulstrode!" Draco softly exclaimed.

            "And she surprised the hell out of you didn't she?" Finley asked.

            "Well, yes," Draco admitted. 

            "Millicent is easily the smartest girl in your grade. She just plays dumb because she claims it's easier," Finley laughed.

            "Then why does she hang around with Crabbe and Goyle?" Draco asked.

            "Why do you?" Finley countered.          

            "Our fathers are friends," Draco answered.

            "Her mother and Crabbe's mother are friends, I believe," Finley said. "Debra tried to explain it too me the other night, but I was only half paying attention." 

            "Fair enough, I guess," Draco said. "It's just a shock to find out that she's capable of carrying on a conversation." 

            "That's what you get," Finley began. Draco effectively silenced her tirade with a kiss. 

*****

            "Mr. Malfoy, kindly remove your tongue from Miss Alexander's mouth," a greasy voice said from somewhere behind Finley and Draco. Draco instantly pulled away from his girlfriend and turned to face the potions master.

            "I am ashamed of you, Mr. Malfoy, you're a prefect," Snape scolded. "If you're going to do something like that, get a room. Or at least a decently private clump of bushes. Judging by the state of a certain couple that just entered the hall, there is one available." Draco willed his pale pink cheeks to return to their normal color. He couldn't remember a time before in his life when he had blushed twice in one night, and mentally berated himself for doing so then. 

            "This is the last song of the night," the singer said, "so grab that special someone and make it the dance to remember." Draco glared soundly at Snape and pulled Finley into his arms. She rested her hands on his shoulders, letting her arms lay fully on his. She nestled her head onto his shoulder, just at the base of his neck, and deeply inhaled the scent of his cologne. He pillowed his cheek on the top of her head and softly dropped a kiss on one of the blue streaked twists. The pair barely moved in time to the music. Finley's eyes fluttered closed. Draco attempted to pull her closer, but didn't succeed very well because there wasn't much space left to close. The music finally ended and the pair broke away from each other. Draco leaned down and dropped a kiss on Finley's cheek. She smiled sweetly up at him. The lights in the great hall slowly began to flash on. Draco moved in to kiss Finley properly.

            "Bloody hell, he finally did it," Casey Warrington muttered from off to the side somewhere. Draco instantly moved to see what Casey was talking about, forgetting about kissing his girlfriend for the moment. There, in the middle of the dance floor, were Harry Potter and Hannah Abbott and they were very much in need of a room. Or at least a decently private clump of bushes.

            "SNAPE!" Draco screeched. "Why don't you go tell HIM to get HIS tongue out of her mouth!!" 


	29. Chapter 29

            Disclaimer: Didn't own them two hours ago. Still don't.

"I don't want to go home." Astrid announced her arrival in the compartment on the Express occupied by Hermione, Harry and Ron. She slammed the door shut behind her and threw herself into the seat next to Hermione and across from Harry. She dropped her book bag onto the floor next to her seat.

            "Really now?" Hermione asked, looking over at the small girl.

            "Really," Astrid said earnestly. "Would one of you hide me in your bags and force feed Colin Creevey enough Polyjuice to make him be Astrid Malfoy for all of break?"

            "I don't know that THAT'S possible," Ron laughed. Astrid rolled her eyes at her friends.

            "So how was the ball?" Astrid asked.

            "Fun," came the standard reply from the three fifth years.

            "Come on, I've been talking to Mandrake Chelsea, who is in the same house as Hannah, Justin and Ernie. From what I hear, it was a lot more than just fun for a few of you," Astrid laughed casting pointed looks in Ron and Harry's direction. Both boys instantly turned dark red. 

            "Well," Harry began, but Astrid cut him off.

            "Seriously Ron, bushes? There are places a bit more romantic than the shrubbery in front of the school that I can think of and I'm only a first year!" she exclaimed, "I'm not supposed to have thoughts like that yet!" 

            "He," Harry began, "Was, ah…"

            "Um," Ron stuttered.

            "Caught up in the moment," Hermione insisted.

            "That's right!" Harry cried.

            "Caught up in the moment," Ron agreed. Astrid shook her head at her friends. 

            "And Harry, I hear you and Miss Abbott have finally made official what everyone took to be true anyway," she laughed. Harry blushed a deep purple. Hermione and Ron both laughed along with Astrid this time.

            "It only took him two months, that's not so bad," Ron said, clapping his friend on his shoulder.

            "At least she was my girlfriend before the entire school knew we were kissing," Harry said. "More than you can say for yourself and Mandy."

            "We would have been fine if the two of you hadn't found us," Ron insisted.

            "I hardly believe that," Harry cried.

            "Ron, you came back into the Great Hall with LEAVES stuck in your hair!" Hermione added.

            "Well I would have had time to brush them out if someone hadn't used my middle name in front of Mandy," Ron said.

            "Oh get over it, Alroy. You got caught and that's all there is to it," Astrid laughed.

            "Shove it, Malfoy," Ron spat. "Who invited you here in the first place anyway?"

            "Boy, if you want your Christmas present, you'll be nice," Astrid warned.

            "You got me a Christmas present?" Ron asked.

            "Certainly," Astrid said, picking up her bag. "I'll give it to you now if you promise to be nice."

            "I'll only be nice if you won't say anything else about me getting caught with Mandy," Ron bargained.

            "One more comment?" Astrid requested.

            "Sure," Ron granted.

            "Where is she now if the two of you were so caught up in the moment last night?" Hermione and Harry instantly erupted with laughter. Ron glared at his two friends.

            "Ron can't manage to string two words to her together without turning red and stuttering!" Harry cried. 

            "But Mandy is as bad as he is! So she and Hannah are sitting with Morag and Terry until Ron and Mandy can relearn to converse like normal human beings," Hermione explained. Astrid laughed loudly before turning back to Ron.

            "Now that I've said that, I won't say anything else, so will you be nice?" she requested.

            "Sure," Ron said. He sounded like he was agreeing specifically to get the present out of the deal. Astrid pulled three packages from her bag. She handed Ron the largest of the three, a box about 30 centimeters square. She handed Hermione a suspiciously thin, rectangular package and Harry the smallest of the boxes, a perfectly square package about 10 centimeters high. 

            "Who's first?" Hermione asked, looking at her best friends.

            "Me!" Ron cried.

            "No, I'm pulling rank on you," Hermione insisted.

            "Rank?" Ron asked. "How? I'm the oldest!"

            "Yes, but I'm the baby, therefore making me obligated to open my presents first," Hermione said. Before Ron could fully process her statement, she began pulling the paper from her package. A moment later, she held a rather thick book in her hands. The book was covered in a cloth charmed to look like a bed of red, orange, yellow and purple flowers. The occasional blue and purple butterfly would flutter across the flowers and tiny bees zoomed back and forth around them.

            "Wow Astrid, this is GREAT!" Hermione cried as she searched the book for a title.

            "You're not going to find a title," Harry said when he realized what his friend was doing.

            "It's a journal," Astrid said. She looked slightly scared Hermione wouldn't like her present.

            "It's actually a joint present from Astrid and me," Harry explained. "She bought the book, I put a few charms on it, and then I have another bit that you'll actually get on Christmas," Harry said.

            "A few charms?" Hermione asked.

            "Yes," Harry replied. "Place a hand on each cover of the book and hold it there for 30 seconds and then I'll explain the charms." Hermione did as she was told. When she pulled her hand away, she looked over at her friend.

            "What did that do?" she asked.

            "Toss it here," Harry instructed. Hermione tossed the book across the compartment. Harry grabbed it and pulled fiercely at both covers.

            "STOP!" Hermione insisted. "You're going to rip it!" She hadn't fully realized the book wasn't even beginning to open for Harry.

            "How will I rip it, I can't even open it," Harry insisted. He tossed the book back to Hermione. "Now you try." Hermione pulled lightly on the front cover and the book fell open in her hands. For the first time, she noticed writing on the front page.

Hermione 

_            A notebook, a quote book, a look what I wrote book. Made especially for the resident encyclopedia of Gryffindor tower. Good luck filling this one._

_                                                                                    Merry Christmas_

_                                                                                                Harry and Astrid_

            "Oh guys, this is SO sweet!" Hermione gushed. "I love it!"

            "Okay, the rest of the charms," Harry said.

            "There are more?" Hermione asked.

            "Well, it will only open to your touch. It's also charmed to never run out of paper, but it will never get any thicker than that," Harry explained.

            "What if it's already open and someone touches it?" Hermione asked. 

"Open it then hand it to Astrid and see," Harry instructed. Hermione opened the book to a random page in the middle and handed it to Astrid. The book almost fell to the floor and caught Astrid's finger in its attempt to slam itself shut. 

"Yeah, it tried to rip my finger off," Astrid said as she handed the book back to Hermione. "I think you over did that one."

            "Sorry," Harry said sheepishly.

            "Wait, you have one of these only it's got the sky on it rather than flowers!" Hermione said.

            "Yes. Draco made me mine for my sixth birthday," Astrid admitted. "I thought you might like one too so I got mom to send me the series of charms she and Draco used on mine. They were to advanced for me, so Harry threw in help on those."

            "This is the most thoughtful present I think I've ever received!" Hermione cried. "Of course, most people just give me books."

            "Hermione, it is a book," Ron pointed out. He was obviously impatiently waiting to open his gift.

            "My turn!" Harry insisted. Ron glared at his friend.

            "What. I'm younger than you," Harry laughed. He slowly picked a piece of tape off the end of the box and started on another. At the rate he was going, opening his present would take an hour.

            "Damn it Harry, just rip the bloody paper!" Ron cried as Harry started on the third piece of tape. Harry pretended not to hear him. "If you don't rip the paper," Ron warned, " I'm going to open your present for you." That did the trick. Harry quickly pulled the paper from the box. Inside the paper was a clear plastic box with a single golden snitch hovering directly in the middle.

            "A SNITCH!" Harry cried. 

            "Very good," Ron said, "You've only chased how many of them and you've finally learned to recognize them?" Harry glared at Ron.

            "Look closer," Astrid urged. Harry pulled the box up even with his eyes. He noticed tiny black squiggles on the small ball.

            "It's signed by every seeker in the league," Astrid explained. "I've been sending that around to all of the different teams since practically September."

            "You did this for ME?" Harry asked.

            "Yes," Astrid admitted. Harry's jaw dropped. "Hey, even little Malfoys are allowed to have celebrity crushes on Harry Potter. Only when I started it, I didn't figure I'd ever know you well enough to justify giving it to you." 

            "Oh Astrid," Harry laughed. "Come here." Astrid stood up uncertainly. Harry reached up and pulled her into a tight hug.

            "Thank you so much," he said. 

            "You're welcome," she said as she sat back down. She turned to Hermione. "I think he liked it," she whispered, causing the fifth years to erupt with laughter.

            "Can I open mine now?" Ron asked.

            "Yes," Harry and Hermione chorused. Ron quickly ripped the paper off of his box. And that's exactly what he got. A wooden box. The wood was highly polished and shone brightly. In the center of the top of the box was a bit of decoration. The decoration came in the form of a picture. In the center of the picture sat a very disgruntled looking Ron, scowling at the camera. George knelt to his left and Harry to his right. Ginny sat at his feet. Fred stood behind Harry and Hermione stood behind George. The pair were slightly behind Ron also. Astrid stood behind Fred and Hermione and leaned over to rest her hands on Ron's head. The rest of the group smiled cheerily at the camera.

            "Uh, thanks Astrid," Ron said, obviously not too pleased at receiving a box with a picture of himself after his first chess defeat in a long time stuck to the top center and no apparent way of being opened.

            "Open it, silly," Astrid instructed.

            "How?" Ron asked. He turned the box over, looking for a clasp. Harry laughed. 

            "Did you let him play with this one too?" 

            "Yep!" Harry said. "Poke your nose with your wand." Ron pulled out his wand and pointed it at his face.

            "No, not THAT nose!" Harry insisted, "the one in the picture." Ron quickly pointed his wand at the box and tapped it on the diminutive nose of his figure. The top of the box instantly flew straight back from Ron. He glanced inside and found a tray covered in half Gryffindor scarlet velvet, half Slytherin green velvet. The tray had sixteen oddly shaped indentions in it, eight in each color of cloth.

            "Now pull it out," Astrid instructed. Ron pulled the top of the tray. It slid away in his hand. He placed it in the seat between himself and Harry. Below it, he found another tray lined in the same green velvet. This tray had eight indentions larger than the first, but still varying in size between the lot. Ron was still obviously confused.

            "Pull that one too," Astrid said. Ron pulled the second tray away and came across a third tray. This one was identical to the second, only covered in scarlet velvet rather than green. 

            "You still have no clue do you?" Harry asked.

            "Not really," Ron admitted.

            "Told you he wouldn't," Astrid laughed. 

            "Will someone please just tell me what this is?" Ron asked.

            "It's a case for your chess pieces," Astrid said, as though the gift was the most obvious thing in the world. "The top tray holds the pawns, the second tray holds the back row of one color and the bottom tray holds the back row of the other color." Ron's face lit up brightly.

            "Astrid, this is fantastic!" he cried.

            "Much better than that box you keep them in now," Astrid said. Ron carefully placed the box in the seat next to him and jumped to his feet. He plucked the little girl from her seat and wrapped her arms around her tightly. She threw her arms around his neck.

            "RON!" Hermione and Harry cried simultaneously.  

"Don't swing her!" Harry continued their exclamation.

"There simply isn't enough room in here!" Hermione finished. Ron glared down at his friends. 

            "Thank you so much, chica," Ron said softly into her blonde hair before placing her back in her seat. He promptly sat back down in his seat and picked up the case. He reached for his bag and extracted a small battered box that currently housed his chess pieces. 

            "Ron, before you start playing don't you think you should give Astrid her present from you?" Hermione asked.

            "Oh, right," Ron said, sliding the box of chess pieces aside. He reached into his bag again and pulled out a box wrapped in red and green paper. The box was smaller than the chess case, but larger than Harry's snitch's box. Harry rummaged around under his seat until he produced a box more than three times as large as the one Ron had handed Astrid.

            "It's from me and Hermione," Harry said as he handed Astrid the box. She tossed the present into the seat next to her.

            "Be careful!" Hermione cried. Astrid raised a questioning eyebrow at the girl before beginning to rip the paper off of the present from Ron. Before long, she held a wooden box in her hands.

            "Wow, I'm beginning to see a trend here," Hermione laughed as Astrid turned the box around in her hands. The box was constructed of plain wood. It had a gold latch on the front. The only decoration on the top was a star made of lighter wood. Astrid undid the latch and raised the lid. Instantly, the compartment was filled with the tinkling sounds of Beethoven's "Fur Elise." 

            "RON!" Astrid squealed. She carefully placed the box on top of her present from Harry and Hermione and jumped up. She dived across the compartment and into Ron's arms.

            "Thank you SO much, it's fantastic!" she cried. Ron returned her hug and she quickly stood up and went back to her seat. She wrestled the larger box onto her lap.  

            "Be careful!" Hermione cried again. Astrid glared at her across the present before beginning to rip the paper from the box. When all of the paper was removed from the top and the four sides of the box, she began to turn the box over to remove the paper from the bottom.

            "DON'T!!" Harry and Hermione cried at the same time. 

            "Just leave that paper where it is and open the present like it is," Harry instructed. Astrid looked at her two friends warily before opening the top of the box. Almost instantly, a ball of flying fur hit her. She caught the fluff ball in her hands and held it back from her so she could look at it. 

            "A KITTEN!" Astrid squealed. Clutched in her hands was a very annoyed looking kitten, struggling to get free. The kitten was solid white with tiny black paws and a tiny black stripe down its nose. 

            "You are just the most precious little thing, yes you are!" Astrid cooed to the kitten, holding it very close to her face.

            "Look in the box again," Harry urged. Astrid held the kitten away from her and peered over the edge of the box. Sitting in the bottom corner of the box was another small kitten. This one was primly licking its left front paw and only stopped for a moment to glance at Astrid with its big green eyes. The kitten still in the box had a red bow tied around its neck. A heap of green strings lay in another corner of the box. The second kitten was white with black paws, black ears, a black tail, and a black spot on its nose. Astrid reached over into the box and picked the second kitten up. Hermione quickly removed the box from her lap. 

            "Another kitten," Astrid said, surveying her new pets.

            "Yes, another kitten," Harry laughed.

            "We had actually just gotten you the second one because she's so much calmer than the first. We got her last Saturday in Hogsmeade. About Wednesday, we got an owl from the lady that owns the Hogsmeade Menagerie saying we either had to bring the kitten we had back, or come buy the other cat. The cat we left in the shop had stopped eating, didn't sleep much and was generally a bigger pain than usual because we had bought his sister," Hermione explained.

            "So we explained the situation to Professor Dumbledore, and he contacted the lady in the shop. She brought the other kitten to us on Friday," Harry laughed.

            "They've been living in a box under my bed since then," Hermione said. Astrid smiled down at the kittens.

            "What are their names?" Astrid asked.

            "That's left for you to decide," Hermione said.

            "I've been calling that one Cat," Harry said, pointing at the kitten with the bow still around its neck.

            "And this one?" Astrid asked, holding up the squirming boy kitten.

            "Other Cat," Harry said with a shrug. 

            "Well we can't have that now can we?" Astrid asked the two kittens. Cat mewed sharply at her. She picked the kitten up and dropped a kiss on its nose. Other Cat nipped at the wrapping lying in Astrid's lap. 

            "Stop it, you little rat," Astrid said, pulling the kitten away from the paper.

            "No, that's Other Cat," Harry laughed.

            "Just wondering," Astrid said. "Why a kitten?" She looked at the two fuzz balls in her lap. "Or kittens."

            "Well," Hermione said. "We know you don't necessarily get along to well with your dorm mates. The rest of us have someone in our year that we get along with."

            "Not in your room," Astrid said, looking at Hermione.

            "Not in my room, true, but I have Crookshanks," Hermione said.

            "So I got a kitten to keep me company," Astrid said.

            "Exactly," Harry supplied. Astrid picked up Other Cat and looked him directly in his little green eyes.

            "And then I got another kitten because you were lonely." Other Cat mewed softly at Astrid. 

            "I think that means yes," Ron laughed.

            "Either that, or put me down," Harry quipped. Astrid dropped Other Cat back onto her lap.

            "They need names better than Cat and Other Cat," Astrid laughed. Ron looked over at the two little fuzz balls.

            "I hope they like me more than that fur ball of Hermione's does," Ron said. Astrid picked up Other Cat and held him out to Ron.

            "Want to hold one?" she asked. "Maybe if you make friends while they're young, they won't attempt to eat Pig when they're bigger." Ron took Other Cat from Astrid and held him up to his face. Other Cat took a swipe at Ron's nose that ended with a tiny pink scratch on the very tip.

            "OWW! You little RAT!" Ron howled.

            "No, Other Cat," Harry insisted.

            "Rat," Ron said.

            "Other Cat!" Harry replied.

            "He's a little rat!" Ron said. The kitten made another swipe at Ron's nose, but Ron dodged this time. "Yes, he's a little Rat." 

            "So do we name him Scabbers?" Harry joked. Hermione and Ron both glared at him.

            "What? Crookshanks met both the kittens and didn't try to eat either one, so I really don't think they're big bad dark wizards," Harry insisted. "Or even little slimy dark wizards." Other Cat began wiggling furiously, trying to escape from Ron's grasp. He finally succeeded and climbed up the sleeve of Ron's robe before curling himself into a ball on Ron's shoulder.

            "Little Rat," Ron spat at the kitten on his shoulder. The kitten purred contentedly.

            "I think the little rat likes you," Hermione said.

            "Guy's if you don't stop calling the thing Rat, it's going to stick," Astrid warned.

            "Better than Other Cat," Hermione shrugged. 

            "You can't have a cat named Rat!" Ron cried.

            "You have an owl named Pig," Harry pointed out. Ron glared at his friends.

            "Ginny did it," he insisted. Astrid picked up the little girl kitten and softly stroked the top of her fuzzy head. The kitten, like her brother, began to purr lightly. 

            "Aww, you're so precious," Astrid cooed to the little kitten. "But you still need a name."

            "As does this one," Ron said, pointing at the boy kitten that was still sleeping contentedly on his shoulder.

            "Fine then, that one's name is Alroy," Astrid said with an evil grin at Ron. Ron's jaw dropped.

            "I think it fits the kitten rather nicely," Hermione said before Ron could protest.

            "I agree," Harry laughed. "Alroy it is!"

            "Guys I was just joking," Astrid said, looking from Hermione to Harry.

            "Well we're not. Alroy is too perfect for the kitten," Hermione laughed. Ron's face paled considerably.

            "Thanks you guys, I really appreciate it," he said. 

            "No problem," Hermione and Harry chorused.

            "So what about her?" Astrid asked, holding up the female kitten. Harry and Hermione both looked at the kitten. Harry scratched his chin thoughtfully. Astrid turned the kitten so she could see its tiny little face. The kitten mewed and flicked its small pink tongue against Astrid's thumb. 

            "Juliet," Hermione said. 

            "Juliet?" Harry and Ron both asked.

            "Yes, Juliet," Hermione said. "It fits her quite nicely."

            "Alroy and Juliet. What great names," Astrid laughed. Ron still looked quite put off about having a hyper little fuzz ball of a kitten bear his middle name. 

            "Oh come off it Ron, you know you loved having the kitten named after you," Hermione said.

            "You could have picked something other than my middle name," Ron insisted. He was trying not to move too much so as not to disturb little Alroy.

            "Yes," Harry agreed, "but I hardly think the kitten qualifies for a name like sexy beast." Astrid and Hermione both erupted with laughter that they barely tried to stifle when Ron glared at them. After a moment, Astrid finally calmed down enough to speak.

            "Guys, as much as I love Juliet and little Alroy, I have a bit of a problem," she said.

            "What's that?" Hermione asked. 

            "They're small. They're fluffy, and they're headed to Malfoy Manor. The only thing that would put them in more danger would be a sign reading "Kieran Malfoy, experiment now," Astrid explained as she nervously stroked Juliet's head.

            "That's not a problem," Ron insisted.

            "He'll kill them!" Astrid cried.

            "They'll just have to come spend Christmas Holidays at the Burrow with us," Ron said.

            "Will you really keep them?" Astrid asked hopefully.

            "Certainly," Ron said. Astrid smiled broadly at her three older friends.

            "You guys are the best!"

            "We try," Harry said airily, brushing his fingernails on the front of his robes twice. Hermione, Ron and Astrid all rolled their eyes at Harry. Astrid picked Juliet up from her lap and held her out to Hermione.

            "Will you hold her?" she asked.

            "Certainly," Hermione said, cradling the fluffy kitten in her hands.

            "Good!" Astrid said. She picked up her music box. "I want to play with this."

            "It's just a muggle music box," Ron said, blushing slightly.

            "I know," Astrid said. "All of the girls at my first school had them. I always wanted one but with my parents being a witch and a wizard and all, I never got one," she explained. "Until now that is. And this one is particularly gorgeous." She turned the box around in her hands several times before opening the lid. "Fur Elise" wafted through the compartment.

            "I don't want to go home," she mumbled over the tinkling music.

            "Then why didn't you sign up to stay at school?" Ron asked logically.

            "I did," Astrid replied, "But Lucius sent Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall all letters saying ALL of his children were to be sent home for the holidays." Hermione and Harry exchanged a worried glance that didn't go unnoticed by Ron. Astrid placed the music box back in the seat and reached for Alroy and Juliet. Hermione and Ron handed over the kittens. Astrid piled them in her lap and began absentmindedly petting them. Alroy curled himself around Juliet and quickly enough, both kittens were asleep. Ron picked up his chess pieces and started arranging them in their new case. All of the small figures commented quietly about how nice their new home was. Hermione grabbed a quill and flipped open her journal. She began furiously scribbling on the first page. Harry observed his friends for a while before standing up.

            "You lot are boring," he announced. "I'm off to find Jason and Sawyer to see what kind of trouble they're causing. 

*****

            "Guys, it's the Hogwarts delegation!" a small figure cried from the kitchen door of the Burrow. George, Angelina, Fred, Hermione, Ron, Harry, Ginny and tiny Gus Figg approached the ramshackle house piled in Bill's Volkswagen Beetle.

            "Audra, you are too small to know a word as big as delegation," Charlie insisted form his spot at the kitchen table. The tiny red head turned to face the much larger one and stamped her little foot.

            "Am not," she insisted.

            "Are too," Charlie said. The four year old stuck her tongue out at Charlie. The 27 year old stuck his tongue out at Audra in return.

            "Auntie Arabella?" Audra asked.

            "Yes Audra?" Arabella replied.

            "When you marry Uncle Bill tomorrow will I get related to him?" Audra asked, pointing at Charlie. 

            "No sweetie, Arabella assured her niece.

            "GOOD!" Audra insisted. She turned on her small heel and started towards the door.

            "Audra Renae Figg, do not go out that door without a cloak on!" Audra's mother warned. Audra stopped dead in her tracks and turned to face her mother.

            "AUDRA!" a red headed blur screeched, tearing into the kitchen.

            "Gus!" Audra squealed, diving into her brother's arms. Gus, with very little trouble caught his sister and spun her around twice before placing her back on the floor. 

            "We're home!" Fred shouted as he and George stepped into the kitchen with Angelina close on their heels.

            "We're all right here!" Charlie called, waving at his brother.

            "That volume of voice is totally unnecessary!" Molly admonished from over near the stove.

            "Mum, it's nice to see you too!" Fred cried, not lowering his volume level one bit.

            "Fredrick Bayard Weasley!"  Molly exclaimed. Fred leaped across the kitchen and enveloped his mother in a tight hug. Then he strained as though he was trying to pick her up before he let her go completely. Molly cracked him over his head with the wooden spoon she held in her hand. He howled loudly, clamping his hands about his head and ran and cowered behind George. George reached over his shoulder and patted his twin on his head. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny straggled into the kitchen. Molly picked up a tray of gingerbread cookies from the counter and offered them to Ron, Ginny and their friends. The four teenagers grabbed gingerbread men. Fred reached for a cookie but Molly rapped his knuckles with a spoon. Harry looked at his cookie for a moment. Ron had already crunched the head of his cookie while Ginny broke the arms off hers. Hermione nibbled at the feet of hers. Harry plucked a gumdrop button from the front of his cookie. The cookie's tiny frosted face contorted into a scowl. 

            "NOT MY GUMDROP BUTTONS!" The cookie shrieked. Out of total surprise, Harry dropped the cookie onto the floor while Charlie and Audra erupted with laughter. Mollie scowled at her second oldest son and the little girl that he had intermittently been playing and fighting with all day. At the moment, the two were fighting.

            "Dinner time!" Molly announced. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny were all standing around still gaping at the broken cookie.

            "Audra and I charmed a few of them to make them a bit more interesting," Charlie explained over Audra's childish giggles.

            "Okay!" Molly announced, "Adults and little children in here, teenagers and unmarried adults downstairs!" Almost instantly, Arthur followed by a group of about five people the teenagers didn't recognize entered the kitchen. Arthur and his group started towards the table, allowing the teenagers, led by Ron to start towards the living room.

            "The Burrow has a basement?" Harry asked as he followed his friend into the living room.

            "Certainly. Doesn't the name Burrow imply underground living space? It has two, actually," Ron said. "Mum cleaned out the first one to use for all of the extra people who are here for the wedding." Ron stopped in front of the fireplace in the living room. He went to the right side of it and undid a latch near the wall. The right side of the mantle gave way to reveal a narrow staircase.

            "Watch your heads," Ron said as he ducked down to start down the stairs. Harry and Hermione followed him and Ginny close on their heels. They ended up at one end of a long hallway. Ron started down the hallway and turned through the last door on the left. He ended up in a room decorated like much of the rest of the house. It was filled with a long wooden table surrounded by 10 mismatched chairs. Ron took the chair at the narrow end of the table on the left side. Hermione took the seat to his right. Harry ran around the table and sat to his left with Ginny to his left. Fred sat next to his girlfriend and George took the seat next to his twin. Angelina sank into the seat next to George. Gus clambered into the chair at the other end of the table. The teenagers looked around at each other.

            "Mum will send the food down in a minute," Ron said. The group heard footsteps outside in the hall just before a familiar red head appeared around the edge of the door.

            "I think this is mum's attempt to get me away from Little Miss Audra Figg," Charlie exclaimed. He sank into the seat next to Ginny, across from George.

            "Where are Percy and Penelope?" George asked.

            "Their little escapade back in October doesn't qualify them as unmarried anymore. They get to sit at the big table," Charlie reminded his younger brother. George rolled his eyes.

            "What exactly was Percy thinking?" he asked. 

            "He was either taken over by a green eyed monster of some sort or simply thinking with his little head," Charlie laughed. Ron groaned and buried his head in his arms. Ginny covered her face with her hands and both twins clamped their hands over their ears. They leveled glares at their older brother.

            "I think we all could have lived forever without hearing that and been just fine!" Hermione insisted. Charlie laughed loudly at his own joke.

            "What's so funny?" a male voice asked form the doorway. Everyone gather around the table looked towards the voice. In the doorway stood Bill with his arm tossed loosely over Arabella's shoulders.

            "Don't let him repeat it!" Ginny insisted.

            "What are you guys doing down here?" Charlie asked, forgetting all about his joke. 

            "We didn't want to sit with the old people," Bill explained.

            "And technically we ARE still unmarried," Arabella laughed, sliding into the seat next to Charlie. Bill summoned another chair and placed it at the corner between Arabella and Gus. HE looked around the table and finally ended up looking at Angelina.

            "I don't know you," he said.

            "This is my girlfriend Angelina Johnson," George replied. Angelina cast a nervous glance in George's direction but he said nothing else.

            "Nice to meet you, Angelina Johnson, I'm Bill Weasley, George's oldest brother," Bill explained. "This is my fiancé, Arabella Figg, and Charlie Weasley, the one that goes between me and Percy."

            "You finally behaved well enough to have a friend over for the holidays?" Charlie asked incredulously. 

            "Mum said all of the younger ones could bring home friends or significant others," Bill explained. Charlie glanced across the table at George and Angelina and then to his left at Ginny.

            "Oh yes, mum said Braeden had been invited but couldn't make it," he said. Ginny glared at her brother before staring down at her still empty place. Charlie continued down to Ron, Harry and Hermione. "So what are your excuses?" he asked. Bill whacked his younger brother across the back of his head.

            "Prat!" he exclaimed. "Believe it or not, Hermione and Harry are still here on Ron's invitation."

            "Oh, right," Charlie mumbled before turning to Fred. "So George's girlfriend is here, Ginny's boy can't come, on the off chance Ron has a girlfriend, he couldn't invite her because that would mean children numbers eight an d nine couldn't come and I don't think mum would stand for that. So where is your friend or significant other?" Fred instantly turned bright red.

            "Here," he insisted.

            "Friend or significant other?" Charlie asked.

            "Both," Fred replied, causing Hermione's ears to turn pink. Charlie's gaze immediately fell on Angelina and George.

            "Guys, I know you are twins and share a lot of things, but sharing the same girl? Isn't that taking things a bit far?" he asked. All of the older Gryffindors exploded with laughter in remembrance of the way George and Angelina had actually gotten together.

"Fred and I only went out once before George and I got together," Angelina insisted once her laughter had subsided. Charlie's jaw dropped.

            "What? They went to the Yule Ball together and I pretended to be Fred the next morning while he was still sleeping," George said, "So ultimately, I got the girl." Charlie nodded and then looked down the table to where Ron and his friends sat. His gaze ultimately fell on Harry. His jaw dropped and his face reddened. 

            "Fred, you know, it really doesn't matter one way or the other who you date, it's your choice, but think of what mum is going to say! She's depending on all of us for grandchildren" Charlie babbled.

            "CHARLIE!" Fred roared, when he figured out what his older brother's incoherent babbling insinuated. "I do NOT fly on that side of the Quidditch pitch!!!"

            "So wait," Charlie said, ignoring the levels of pink everyone at the table had attained. "If you're not dating Angelina…"

            "Hermione, you dolt!" Fred interrupted before Charlie could make anymore embarrassing statements. Charlie howled with laughter. Bill looked dead at Fred.

            "No really," Bill insisted.

            "Really," Fred replied. Bill turned his gaze on Hermione.

            "Imperius is quite illegal, you know," he said, quite seriously. Fred slung his arm around Hermione's shoulders.

            "Hermione would never put me under the Imperius curse, would you baby?" Fred asked.

            "Well," Hermione began.

            "Somehow, I don't think I'm worried about Hermione," Bill interrupted, casting a pointed look at Fred.

            "Fred and Hermione really are together," George insisted.

            "And the other half of Fred's brain is in your head. I certainly don't think we're believing you," Charlie laughed.

            "They really are!" Ron and Harry cried.

            "And you two are Hermione's trained monkeys" Bill said, "Like we're going to believe you." Ron looked at Harry.

            "Can't we at least rate goons or body guards?"

            "You should," Ginny broke in.

            "Until the advent of Braeden Granger, you pined over Harry Potter. If any of those feelings are left over, you have a perfect reason to comply with their little plot," Bill reasoned.

            "But they really are!" Gus chimed in.

            "You, Mr. Augustus Figg, are a first year, you're probably complying specifically to gain favor with the older members of your house," Arabella said.

            "Are you kidding?" Gus asked. "We're not Slytherins, nepotism will get you no where in Gryffindor!" Hermione laughed appreciatively at the first year while everyone else stared at him like he was gum stuck to someone's shoe. Or Draco Malfoy. The three adults shared a smile, proud of their solid logic. Hermione silently clasped Fred's jaw in her right hand. She pulled his face down towards hers and planted a kiss squarely on his lips.

            Charlie's voice cut through Ron's, Harry's and George's gagging and Angelina and Ginny's resounding "AAWWWWW!"

            "BLOODY HELL!!"

*****

            Astrid clutched the wooden music box tightly in her hands as she followed her brothers into the cold stone entrance hall of Malfoy Manor. Draco led the way, book bag slung carelessly over his immaculate black robe. Keiran walked a few steps behind his older brother exuding an air of confidence 11-year-old boys shouldn't be capable of. Astrid stayed well away from the boys and with good reason. The pair had avoided speaking to her at all costs. When they had, they referred to her as "traitor." She didn't particularly care to make them mad.

            Draco paused and looked around the empty hall.

            "Hell of a welcome home party, don't you think?" He quietly asked Keiran. Keiran chuckled appreciatively. His laughter was interrupted by the sound of small footsteps. A small blonde head appeared around the edge of a door on the right side of the hall. 

            "EMMA!" Astrid cried.

            "ASTRID!" Emma squealed. She quickly ran across the entrance hall and caught her older sister in a hug. 

            "How have you been?" Astrid asked when she and her sister pulled away from each other.

            "I've been okay, but Lucius is requesting the three of you in his study now," Emma said.

            "I've got SO much to tell you about!" Astrid insisted.

            "After you meet with Lucius," Emma replied, pushing her sister towards the door. "He didn't look to happy."

            "The traitor deserves it," Keiran muttered. Emma spun to face her brother. She glared at him through small oval shaped glasses.

            "Do not talk about your twin sister that way," she said in a tone that implied she wouldn't think twice about hexing him into next week if he said anything else about Astrid. The fact that Emma had grown a bit since they had last seen her, and was, in fact a bit taller than Keiran while not quite as tall as Astrid helped her. Astrid hurried down the hallway with Keiran and Draco close on their heels. Emma followed them for a little ways, but then turned through a portrait hole that would lead her back to her and Astrid's wing of the manor. 

            "That's sad Astrid, your little Gryffindor arse has to be protected by your baby sister," Keiran muttered.

            "She's not the baby," Astrid and Draco snapped, almost instantaneously and quite simultaneously. Keiran rolled his eyes and stomped ahead of his sister in the passageway. He stopped at a portrait and pulled its frame away from the wall. He carefully slipped inside.

            "This way," he said, "It's a faster way to Lucius's study." Draco and Astrid followed the boy, both amazed at his knowledge of the secret passage neither of them had any clue about until they found themselves walking it. The three siblings remained silent. Keiran wondered how much praise he would receive from Lucius for his outstanding performance in his first half year at Hogwarts. Astrid walked a bit slower than her brothers, absolutely terrified at what the meeting with Lucius would hold for her. Draco couldn't exactly figure out why his father wanted to see him. On the one hand, he could want to praise him for his great year so far. On the other, Pansy's and Keiran's warnings about Finley and the Yule Ball could mean that Lucius was getting ready to eat Draco alive. Keiran pushed aside a tapestry at the end of the passage and stepped into the hall. He turned to a pair of glass doors just to his left and pointed.

            "Lucius's study," he said, pointing to the doors. Before Draco or Astrid could stop him, he stepped forward and threw open one of the doors. He hurried inside, leaving his siblings no choice but to follow him. Lucius sat at a large Mahogany desk pushed against one wall. 

            "Hello," he greeted his children calmly.

            "Father," the three children chorused. 

            "Keiran," Lucius said. Keiran took a couple of steps towards his father.

            "Professor Snape tells me you are a most exemplary young Slytherin," Lucius said. Keiran tried to hide his smile.

            "I suppose, father," he said. Lucius pulled out a bag from his bottom desk drawer. The bag jerked sharply in his hand. He tossed it to his youngest son. Keiran caught the bag easily.

            "Go," Lucius commanded, "Have fun." Keiran smiled broadly as the bag moved in his hands again. He turned on his heel and ran from the study. Draco and Astrid turned to face Lucius.

            "Draco," Lucius hissed. Draco willed himself to stand up a bit straighter. 

            "Yes Father?" Draco asked. While all of the Malfoy children referred to their father as Lucius behind his back, they all called him Father in his presence. 

            "Your performance at school has been excellent so far," Lucius said. Draco smiled a bit. "However, you disgrace me." Draco took the cue to stare at the stone floor. "You did not attend the ball with young miss Parkinson as you should have."

            "I'm sorry, father," Draco said, not daring to look up. 

            "Sorry is not good enough. Finley Alexander does not come from a family in my circle of friends. Therefore, she is unacceptable for any son of mine," Lucius insisted.

            "I simply thought that because she was pureblooded," Draco began.

            "You thought wrong," Lucius spat, before Draco could finish his sentence. "In times like these, not even pure blood is enough to be acceptable." Astrid looked at the door, seriously considering tearing through it and running until she got to Hogwarts or the Burrow, whichever came first. Lucius ran his fingers over the head of the snake topped cane leaning against his desk. 

            "I'm sorry, father," Draco said, for lack of anything better to say. Lucius pulled out his wand and pointed it at his son.

            "_Crucio_," Lucius muttered. Draco felt like a billion sharp tooth maggots were consuming his body, from the inside. He collapsed on the floor in a heap and Astrid had to keep herself from stepping towards her brother and gather him into her arms.

            "He's been nothing but a bloody wanker all year," she silently reminded herself. Lucius pulled his wand away from Draco.

            "Now get out of my sight," he said. Draco attempted to scramble to his feet and half walked, half tripped, half stumbled out of the office doors. 

            "Astrid," said Lucius, turning his silky smooth voice on his oldest daughter. 

            "Yes Father?" Astrid asked.

            "There is nothing I can say to verbalize how disappointed I am in you. You are a disgrace to the Malfoy name," Lucius spat. "Nothing I can say except perhaps this: _Crucio_." The music box slipped from Astrid's hands and smashed on the floor as she collapsed in a shaking heap. Her bones felt as though they were spontaneously combusting. She attempted to cover her head with her hands but found that she couldn't move. 

            Draco stood on the other side of the glass doors, watching the proceedings wordlessly. The stupid box Astrid had been clinging to smashed into at least four big pieces and his sister collapsed onto the floor. He was half amazed, half disturbed. Lucius had never used the Cruciatus Curse on any of the girls, but judging by the look of his sister, there was a first time for everything. Lucius still hadn't pulled his wand away from the girl. Draco bit the corner of his lip. Astrid shook on the floor. Draco reached for the door but then pulled his hand away. His body still ached from the curse he had just survived. Another moment later, Draco slung the door open and stepped through.

            "Father, if you don't stop now, she'll be reduced to nothing more than a common Longbottom!" he cried. Lucius wrenched his wand away from Astrid.

            "Fine then," he spat, leveling his wand at Draco. _"Crucio_."

*****

            "So, Angelina, what do you plan on doing after you graduate from Hogwarts?" Bill asked through a mouthful of bread. 

            "Quidditch, hopefully," Angelina replied truthfully. All of the chatter around the table drowned out the sound of footsteps in the hallway. The lone person clothed in a black robe stopped outside of the last room on the left. He paused and listened to the voices inside. He had managed to get through the people on the first level, so the only ones left sat inside the room. He took a deep breath and stepped into the doorway. 

            "Hi guys, did you miss me?" he asked. 

            "GGAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" came Ginny's inarticulate scream. She scrambled onto her chair and then over the table, stepping between the twins to tackle the figure in the doorway. Hermione and Harry exchanged a quick glance before jumping after Ginny. They each grabbed one of her elbows and pulled her to her feet. 

            "BRAEDEN!" Hermione squealed and jumped into her cousins waiting arms.

            "Hey Hermione!"

            "I'm going to hex everyone who knew he was coming and kept up the pretense that he wasn't," Ginny said, turning to face the group gathered around the table. Bill and Charlie were both laughing uproariously. Everyone else looked equally surprised to see Braeden. "Who's first?"

            "Aww Gin, don't do that," Braeden said as he returned Hermione to her feet. "Or at least wait until after we go upstairs for desert."

            "What?" Ginny asked.

            "Your mum told me to send all of you upstairs for desert," Braeden said. "Then you can hex us all."

            "Okay," Ginny replied happily, lacing her fingers between his and pulling him back into the hallway. Hermione shrugged and followed them. Harry started after her.

            "Harry, can I talk to you for just a second," Arabella asked over the noise of everyone vacating their chairs to head upstairs. Harry stepped against the wall and waited for the crowd to pass. 

            "What is it?" he asked, stepping over to where his former babysitter still sat. 

            "I need to ask you something," she said.

            "Okay," Harry replied.

            "Well, for tomorrow, Bill and I have agreed to name only one person to stand with us when we get married," Bella began. "Bill has picked Charlie for every apparent reason. They're brothers and best friends."

            "Naturally," Harry agreed, unsure of where Arabella's line of conversation was heading. 

            "Well, Harry, my best friend is dead," Arabella said, rather bluntly. The blank look on Harry's face showed that he was still clueless.

            "Harry, my best friend was your mother," Arabella tried a different approach.

            "Oh," Harry replied.

            "Lily was my best friend, and I've dedicated my life since her death to keeping you safe. Because of all of this, I would like you to stand with me tomorrow," Bella said. Harry's jaw dropped.

            "Really?" he asked.

            "Yes," Arabella said. "Bill and I have discussed it, and we've decided that you're the only logical choice. My brother and I don't get along all THAT well, and, well, I asked Remus because he's always been a very close friend. He was actually the one that suggested you." 

            "I'd be honored," Harry said, unsure of exactly what TO say. 

            "Thank you," Arabella said. She stared at the boy for another minute before breaking her eyes away from his. "You have your mother's eyes. It's uncanny really." She glanced down at the floor. Harry stood and held out his hand to her. She took it and he pulled her to her feet.

            "A lot of people say that," he said. She pulled him into a quick but tight hug.

            "Come on," he said when their embrace ended. "Let's go get cake." 


	30. Chapter 30

Sorry the update took so long.  
  
We still love Natalie.  
  
Most of this still isn't mine.  
  
Have fun with this chapter.  
  
Please Review  
  
That being said.  
  
*****  
  
"I'm quite glad you girls are here. I can fight vampires, I've taken on Death Eaters, and I even passed my Divination N.E.W.T. but make up is quite beyond me," Arabella laughed. She surveyed the table before her covered in various types of makeup.  
  
"Never fear, Harry isn't the only one who can save the day," Ginny laughed. Hermione quirked her eyebrow in Arabella's direction.  
  
"Divination?" she asked.  
  
"Oh yes," Arabella laughed. "I was simply dreadful in that subject. It was taught up in the top of the North tower by this old bat who never came out of her classroom."  
  
"Trelawney?" Hermione guessed.  
  
"Yes, that was her name," Arabella said. "Only I think she was an older relative of the one you have now."  
  
"So the teacher we have now has a reason to be looney, it runs in the family," Hermione laughed. "I walked out of her class somewhere after Easter of our third year and haven't been back since."  
  
"I should have done that, but you have to have Divination to get into Auror training camp," Arabella explained.  
  
"Good thing I suppose. I think the boys have decided that I'm going to be the non Auror in the group," Hermione said. She picked up a hairbrush from the table and dragged it through Arabella's auburn locks.  
  
"I thought Ron wanted to be a professional Quidditch player," Arabella stated.  
  
"Well if that falls through, and his potions grades aren't too dismal, then I think he wants to have Auror training to fall back on," Hermione explained.  
  
"Well if that falls through, and his potions graes aren't too dismal, then I think he wants to have Auror training to fall back on," Hermione explained.  
  
"And Harry wants to be an Auror?" Arabella asked.  
  
"Harry hasn't really said what his plans for after Hogwarts are," Hermione replied.  
  
"I think he's concentrating on living through that first," Ginny half- laughed.  
  
"Poor kid. Luckily Voldemort has stayed relatively quiet since last June," Arabella said. Hermione and Ginny nodded in agreement. Before either of them could say anything, they were interrupted by a knock on the door.  
  
"Who is it?" Ginny asked before Hermione or Arabella could say anything.  
  
"Bill," the voice on the other side of the door said. The doorknob slowly began to turn.  
  
"NO!" Hermione screeched. She rushed to get around the table and throw herself up against the door.  
  
"You can't see me before the wedding!" Arabella scolded.  
  
"NOT FUNNY, CHARLIE!" Ginny shouted. The door flew open just after Hermione stepped out of the way. The hulking frame of the second oldest Weasley son appeared in the doorway.  
  
"I got at least two of you!" Charlie laughed. He stepped completely into the room, pulling someone behind him. The person holding his hand was a girl not much taller than Hermione. She had long blonde hair that fell almost to her waist in silky waves. She had almond shaped grey blue eyes surrounded by thick black lashes. She was petite in build, but looked to be very muscular under her plum sweater and tight muggle blue jeans.  
  
"Not funny, Charlie," Arabella echoed, much quieter than Ginny. She tried to smooth her disarrayed hair.  
  
"Yes, I believe Ginny has already said that," Charlie laughed. "but at any rate, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Natalia Stockard."  
  
"Hi," Ginny said, waiving at the woman slightly before turning back to the palate of eye shadow before her.  
  
"So that's Arabella, the bride to be, and that's Hermione, Fred's girlfriend and Harry and Ron's best friend," Charlie explained.  
  
"So you must be Ginny," Natalia said.  
  
"What gave it away?" Ginny asked. "The red hair, the red hair, or the red hair?" The group in the room laughed appreciatively.  
  
"Actually, I'd say it's probably the fact that Charlie said we were coming up here to meet Ginny, his sister, and since that's Hermione and that's Arabella, you have to be Ginny," Natalia explained. "Although the red hair did help a bit."  
  
"Well dear, you've met the girls. Now I must go pry Bill off of the ceiling. Natalia, you may come with me or you can stay here and help with the makeup," Charlie offered. "Or you could always go sit with mum for tea."  
  
"As exciting as the prospect of prying your brother off of the ceiling sounds, I think I'll have to stay with the makeup," Natalia said. Charlie smiled and dropped a kiss on his girlfriend's head.  
  
"Alright then, see you later I suppose," he said. She smiled up at him before dropping his hand to rub at a shiny burn that laced the back of her knuckles. Charlie blew her another kiss before turning and exiting the room, pulling the door closed behind him.  
  
"So Natalia, which division of the dragon preserve do you work in?" Arabella asked.  
  
"How did you know I work in the preserve?" Natalia asked.  
  
"Well, you've got a burn on the back of that hand and scars on the other, as well as a rather large scar just there under your jaw line covered by your hair," Arabella said. "I seriously doubt the preserve would allow you to get close enough to the dragons to get burned if you were simply one of Charlie's visitors."  
  
"Very observant of you," Natalia laughed. She shook her hair back from her face. "You're right, I work in the hatchery and sometimes the little ones can't necessarily control their fire or their aim. And you're the Auror of the group?"  
  
"Yes," Arabella replied.  
"Safe to say I'm not nearly as observant as you. Charlie and Bill explained all about everyone to me before I got here," Natalia said.  
  
"So girls, how about this mascara?" Ginny asked. The three girls all turned to look at the youngest of the group. Natalia grabbed a curling iron and Hermione grabbed the brush. They both started towards Arabella.  
  
"Is all of this really necessary?" Arabella asked as the three girls proceeded to curl and brush her hair.  
  
"If you want to be beautiful it is," Ginny said.  
  
"And you most certainly want to be beautiful on your wedding day," Hermione added, laughing slightly.  
  
"Should I really trust you three?" Arabella asked, glancing over her shoulder. Hermione and Ginny both nodded.  
  
"You said it yourself," Hermione said. "You have about as much use for makeup as you have for death Eaters. I certainly don't want to see what you would end up looking like if left to your own devices."  
  
"And I certainly don't want my mascara to go to Azkaban," Ginny added. Arabella, Hermione and Natalia all looked at Ginny wordlessly.  
  
"It was a bad joke, I admit," Ginny said. "But Arabella, hurting the sister of your future husband now because of a bad joke might put a bit of a damper on the wedding plans. And besides, right now I hold the power to make you look beautiful or make you look like a clown."  
  
"Then tell all the bad jokes you want," Arabella said. "I certainly don't want to look like a clown so I won't complain."  
  
"So wait, you work with baby dragons?" Ginny asked, rather absentmindedly.  
  
"That line of conversation was done several minutes ago there Gin," Arabella said.  
  
"Forgive her," Hermione said, patting Ginny on her arm, "Her brain has been elsewhere ever since Braede4n showed up yesterday."  
  
"Who is Braeden?" Natalia asked.  
  
"My cousin," Hermione volunteered.  
  
"So wait," Natalia said, attempting to process the information.  
  
"And the boy Ginny is obsessed with," Arabella supplied.  
  
"But he's not her boyfriend," Hermioen finished. Natalia shrugged.  
  
"Sometimes boys are way slower than they should be," she laughed.  
  
"Yes, but Braeden and I have quite the distance factor," Ginny replied. "He lives in France."  
  
"Pretty sticks?" Natalia asked.  
  
"What?" Ginny and Arabella chorused.  
  
"She means Beauxbatons," Hermione supplied. "Beauxbatons means 'pretty sticks' in French." Arabella and Ginny both laughed.  
  
"Yes, Braeden goes to Beauxbatons," Ginny said.  
  
"Where did you go to school?" Arabella asked. "I don't remember you from Hogwarts."  
  
"I went to Durmstrang," Natalia replied. Hermione and Ginny both fell silent. Arabella simply nodded.  
  
"I almost did an exchange program there during my sixth year for Defense Against the Dark Arts," Arabella said. "But then with one thing and the other happening in the world, the trip was canceled."  
  
"Durmstrang does have a great Defense department," Natalia said. Hermione looked at Ginny over Arabella's head.  
  
"I think this hot pink lipstick will look fantastic!" Ginny said, picking up a shade of neon lipstick Fred had supplied when they scavenged for makeup earlier. He insisted it was left over from a Halloween costume.  
  
"NO!!" Arabella insisted. Even with her limited knowledge of such matters, she knew hot pink lipstick was a step in the wrong direction.  
  
%%%%%  
  
Charlie sank onto his bed in the room he and his brother shared. He crossed his legs, placed his left elbow on his left knee and rested his chin on his left hand. Bill stomped past the bed and when he reached the other wall, he turned sharply on his heel and headed back to the other side. Charlie slowly turned his head to follow his brother's progress. When Bill turned, Charlie simply moved his head back to follow Bill the other direction. After about five circuits around the room, Charlie ventured to speak.  
  
"So Bill, are you sure she's you know, good enough to make this permanent?" Charlie asked. Bill stopped dead in his tracks and turned to glare at his younger brother.  
  
"I hardly think THAT'S any of your business!" Bill cried. "but yes, I do believe this is the right decision."  
  
"William, are you sure you're thinking clearly?" Charlie asked. "You and she have only been dating since August!"  
  
"But we've known each other since I was eleven!" Bill cried. "And since when are you allowed to call me William, Charles?"  
  
"OOOOH, that was low," Charlie insisted. "but if you'er so sure that it's the right thing to do then why are you trying to wear a hole in the already threadbare carpet of our floor?" Bill leveled an icy glare on Charlie. He leaned back on his left leg and raised his left hand to chest level. Before Charlie had a chance to move, Bill sprang towards him, right fist connecting with the side of Charlie's head. Bill's forced caused the brother's to catapult backwards into the wall.  
  
%%%%%  
  
"I can't believe Bill is getting married later this afternoon," Ron said. He dragged his fingers in lazy circles around the top of Juliet's head. He was lying on his back on his bed. The kitten was curled into a fluffy ball, sleeping on his chest. Harry was stretched out across the floor and Fred and George were rolling a ball between themselves that Alroy was happily chasing. Braeden was stretched out across a chair in the corner, his nose in a book.  
  
"You should probably start believing, because it's going to happen one way or the other," Fred laughed.  
  
"He and Bella just met at the beginning of august!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
"If you're not counting any of the time between Bill's first day of Hogwarts and last August," George laughed. Ron glared at his brother but didn't more too much in fear of disturbing Juliet.  
  
"So I've got a question," Harry said.  
  
"We're not Hermione, but we still may have answers," George quipped.  
  
"How does one go about being in a wedding?" Harry asked.  
  
"Well, typically the guy asks the girl if she will marry him," Fred began. "But actually it starts before that."  
  
"No you prat," Harry spat, "I meant how does one go about the bit where you get to stand next to the bride or groom?"  
  
"Why do you care?" George asked.  
  
"He's in the wedding," Ron said.  
  
"Well you know Harry," Fred said "The only other wedding we would have had the opportunity to go to would have been Percy's and besides the fact that we were at Hogwarts, he did elope so there wasn't much of a wedding for us to attend."  
  
"So you guys have never been to a wedding either?" Harry asked. Fred and George both shook their heads glumly.  
  
"How did you rate being in the wedding anyway?" Fred asked.  
  
"Yeah, we're his brothers and he didn't even ask us!" George cried.  
  
"I'm not standing with bill, dolt. "I'm standing with Arabella."  
  
"Why?" George questioned.  
  
"She and my mum were best friends in school, and after mum and dad died, Bella was assigned to protect me. She said it was only fair I got to stand with her at her wedding in my mum's place," Harry explained.  
  
"Oh," Fred and George mumbled simultaneously.  
  
"So do you have any clue as to how wizard weddings usually go?" Harry asked. He received four blank stares, and a head shake from Fred and Braeden.  
  
"I've got a completely random question, since all of us are clueless about wizarding weddings," Braeden said. "How did this cat get the name Alroy?" "Astrid," Ron and Harry chorused.  
  
"Astrid?" Braeden asked,  
  
"Didn't Ginny explain about her in a letter?" Harry asked.  
  
"She mentioned that there was a Malfoy in Gryffindor, but then she took the next three rolls of parchment explaining about Gryffindors and Slytherins and Malfoys and such, so she never got back around to telling about Astrid," Braeden replied.  
  
"So Astrid is Gryffindors resident Malfoy," Ron said, by way of explanation.  
  
"Well, your sister told me that much!" Braeden laughed.  
  
"Astrid is one of the coolest little kids you'll ever meet. She's a first year, and despite the fact that she's a Malfoy, she is fiercely loyal, extremely sarcastic, and all around a good friend," Harry said.  
  
"That explains a bit more," Braeden said with a nod.  
  
"I thought sarcasm was inherent with the name Malfoy," Fred said.  
  
"Yes, well," Ron said, running his fingers through Juliet's fur again.  
  
"So Braeden, have you ever been to a wedding?" Harry asked.  
  
"I was in one once," Braeden replied. Harry turned to face Braeden, a look of questioning on his face.  
  
"Yes, I made it halfway down the aisle before I had to be taken out of the side door," Braeden added airily.  
  
"Explain yourself, boy," Ron said.  
  
"Well, my aunt Katherine was getting married and she asked me to be the ring bearer. I must have been around three or four. So I got all dressed up in my little penguin suit and had my little pillow and was following the flower girl down the aisle when I tripped on the back of her dress and tossed my pillow into the crowd. The flower girl was slightly irate, so she whacked me several times with her basket of flowers. She scared me so badly that I peed in my pants and had to be taken out of the church by my mother," Braeden explained.  
  
"She hit you with your basket!" Ron cried.  
  
"YOU WORE A PENGUIN SUIT!" Fred howled.  
  
"Yes," Braeden replied, "they're quite the fashion statement at fancy muggle affairs." A look passed unnoticed between the twins.  
  
"That story is all the more hilarious if the flower girl was who I think it is," Harry crowed.  
  
"Yes, the flower girl was one Miss. Hermione Granger. Aunt Katherine is Weston and my father, Benjamin's younger sister. She had Hermione as her flower girl and me as the ring bearer." The crowd in the room collapsed with laughter.  
  
"Hermione as a flower girl?" Fred asked.  
  
"Certainly," Braeden replied. "She wore a pretty yellow dress that was all sleeveless. And she carried a little basket of flowers and wore a ring of yellow roses in her hair. She had all of these big brown curls and the roses almost got lost in them." Fred tried to pick himself up off of the floor but wasn't successful. He submitted to his laughter and continued to roll on the floor between George and the chess table. Juliet arched her back and dug her claws into Ron's chest. Ron screeched and flung the cat off of his chest and onto Harry. Juliet wrapped herself around Harry's head and hissed fiercely at the form on the bed. Harry screamed from under the cat.  
  
"Seriously guys," a voice from the doorway said. "You've faced some of the nastiest creatures to ever live and you're screaming like first years over a bloody kitten." Hermione stepped across the room and plucked the hissing kitten from Harry's head. She cradled the small body in her hands and ran her fingers over its fur.  
  
"There there now baby, I'll keep you from the bad men," Hermione whispered to the kitten. Then she turned to look at the boys. "At any rate, Mrs. Weasley wants all of us kids in the kitchen."  
  
"I completely resent being called a kid," Fred insisted indignantly. Everyone else clambered to their feet.  
  
"Alright," Hermione amended her statement as she returned Juliet to the floor. "All of you kids and Fred." Fred smiled sweetly at his girlfriend.  
  
"Much better dear."  
  
"Where has Angelina gotten off to?" Harry asked George.  
  
"She and her favorite thing in the world are in the orchard doing the only thing she has time for," George explained slightly forlornly.  
  
"Those would be?" Hermione asked, trying to ignore the looks of devilish interest that had crossed the faces of most of the boys.  
  
"Flying and her broomstick," George replied. "They've taken over her life!"  
  
"Does this mean George and Angelina are no longer together?" Braeden ventured to ask.  
  
"That's exactly what it means," George replied. "Evidently I'm not serious enough about her Quidditch career to be her boyfriend anymore." Ron clapped his brother on his shoulder twice.  
  
"I'm sorry man," he said.  
  
"Oh it's not too much of a problem. I loved Angelina and everything, and this comes as a surprise and it hurts, it really does. I just need to wait a socially acceptable amount of time after being dumped to make things publicly official with Katie," George said, a devilish smile crossing his thin lips.  
  
"GEORGE CLANCY WEASLEY!" Fred shouted.  
  
"What?" I danced with her at the ball after Lina broke things off with me, and we both agree that things between us just feel perfect," George shrugged as he stepped into the kitchen leaving the rest of the group to ponder the implications of his statement.  
  
"Kids!" Molly exclaimed.  
  
"And Fred!" Hermione muttered under her breath.  
  
"There are some people here I thought you might like to see." Molly pointed towards the table. The six teenagers looked to the other end of the room.  
  
"Professor Lupin!" four of the five Hogwarts students chorused. The bedraggled wizard seated at the end of the table waved cheerily to the teenagers.  
  
"Snuffles!" Harry cried as he was bowled over by the familiar large black dog that was his Godfather.  
  
"Aunt Jo and Uncle Weston!" Braeden exclaimed. He headed towards the very distressed looking people seated opposing Lupin.  
  
"Braeden Granger, what are you doing here?" Weston asked, visibly surprised at his nephew's presence in the kitchen of the Burrow.  
  
"Well, as Ginny and I are," Braeden paused for a moment, searching for the right word to describe his and Ginny's relationship.  
  
"You're interested in each other," Hermione supplied a phrase to fill the silence Braeden had caused. Braeden glared at his younger cousin.  
  
"Braeden dear, it's not like everyone in the kitchen didn't already know," Jo laughed. Braeden turned his scowl on his aunt.  
  
"Well, Ginny and I are interested in each other so Molly invited me here to the burrow for the wedding and then Christmas," Braeden explained.  
  
"I actually didn't know he and Ginny were interested in each other, but then I didn't know him," Lupin called from the other end of the table.  
  
"So I have just one question," Braeden said.  
  
"Which is?" Jo prompted.  
  
"Why didn't anyone bother to tell me I'm getting a new cousin?" Braeden looked pointedly at the very pregnant Jo.  
  
"Braden, you're getting a new cousin in April," Jo said. "There, you've been told."  
  
"I think you should name it Colt, after me," Braden announced.  
  
"We've already picked out names," Weston said. "Weston Edward Granger Jr. for a boy and Jaquenetta Madeline Granger for a girl."  
  
"Jaquenetta?" Braden asked, eyes widening with disbelief.  
  
"That's what WE said!" Ron laughed from the other end of the table.  
  
"You could always call her Jaqui," Hermione suggested brightly.  
  
"And we could always call you Hermie," Weston shot back instantly. Hermione's face fell while all of her friends exchanged mischievous glances and laughter.  
  
"And that's a no!" Hermione spat. "If you must shorten my name, I much prefer 'Mione to Herm or Hermie."  
  
"Hermione dear, who are all of your friends?" Jo asked, pushing her short honey brown hair back away form her face. Angelina crashed through the doorway, leaning her broom against the bottom of the cloak rack.  
  
"Brilliant weather out there today," she claimed as she unraveled her scarf from her wind swept cheeks.  
  
"So mum," Hermione said, looking away form Angelina. "you know Ginny, Ron and Harry, and of course you know Braeden."  
  
"I changed Braeden's nappies!" Jo interrupted. Braeden's face turned bright red and the crowd in the kitchen, which now contained Bill, Charlie, Natalia, Gus and Audra erupted with laughter.  
  
"So that's George Weasley, the brother above Ron and that's Bill, the oldest Weasley. Charlie, the one standing next to Bill, is the second oldest and that's Natalia Stockard, his girlfriend. The little redhead is Gus Figg and that's his sister Audra. The girl that just came in is Angelina Johnson and the Weasley that looks exactly like Goerge is my boyfriend, Fred," Hermione explained. "I'm assuming you already met Mrs. Weasley and Professor Lupin."  
  
"Heavens yes. Remus was quite helpful in getting us here," Go replied.  
  
"Fredrick Bayard Weasley!" Molly shrieked. "What have you done with our Hermione?"  
  
"Well mum," Fred began, a sly smile cracking across his freckled face." There is a big difference between done with and done to. I suspect you would much rather hear the answer to the latter." Molly's face reached an all-new level of furious. Weston's face turned bright red. Hermione's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. Everyone else present stifled giggles except for Charlie who ran from the room and could be heard laughing in the living room.  
  
"FREDRICK BAYARD WEASLEY!" Molly shrieked. "That is no way to behave in front of the parents of your girlfriend. And you KNOW Imperious is quite illegal!"  
  
"Oh Mrs. Weasley!" Jo said, brushing a tear of laughter form her eyes. "They're teenagers. I for one, am quite glad Hermione found a guy with a sense of humor who obviously comes from a good family." Weston nodded about the family part but didn't seem to share Jo's feelings about Fred's sense of humor.  
  
"Fred, did you really need to go there in front of my parents?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I'm sorry babe, but she opened the door on that one. I couldn't help stepping in," Fred said sheepishly. Hermione smiled at Fred.  
  
"Oh, guess what Hermione," Jo said.  
  
"What?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Your little brother or sister is a wizard or witch!:" Jo announced proudly.  
  
"So you could see the Burrow as it really is?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Yes, and your father couldn't." Jo explained.  
  
"I read something about muggle women being perceptive of magic when they're pregnant with wizarding babies," Hermione said.  
  
"Really?" Bill asked. "I always knew a witch's power would grow if she was pregnant, especially if her child is powerful, but I didn't know it worked sort of the same for muggles."  
  
"Can werewolves have babies?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Only rarely, if both parents are alpha and the mother can control her change for nine months. Even then, the baby will most likely have lycanthropy. But if the mother changes while pregnant, the baby usually doesn't survive the change," Lupin explained.  
  
"What if the mother is human?" George asked.  
  
"Typically sons will survive but daughters inherit lycanthropy and usually die. Don't ask me why because I don't much feel like explaining the muggle scientific reason for it," said Lupin, running his fingers through his sandy hair and making it stand wildly on end.  
  
"Wait, you all are talking as if werewolves really exist," Jo said cautiously.  
  
"They do," the group chorused.  
  
"Aren't they dangerous?" Weston questioned.  
  
"During the full moon yes," Bill supplied.  
  
"But even then, with the new advances in potions and all, they can be made quite harmless," Lupin added.  
  
"Do you all know any werewolves?" Jo asked.  
  
"Yes!" came the resounding answer from the group.  
  
"Who?" Weston asked.  
  
"My younger sister, Myah," Natalia supplied. Everyone else in the room exchanged nervous glances, not sure whether or not to speak.  
  
"Me," Lupin finally spoke up.  
  
"Really?" Jo asked.  
  
"Yes," Lupin replied. "I got bitten when I was too young to remember but old enough that my first change didn't kill me." Jo and Weston just looked at Lupin and nodded, unsure of what to say.  
  
"So kids, why don't you all go get ready for the wedding?" Molly suggested. "Mr. and Mrs. Granger can stay here with Remus and discuss his Lycanthropy. The Hogwarts Students, Braeden and Audra headed off towards the front of the house and the stairs. Natalia went off to find Charlie. Bill remained stationary.  
  
"William, that means you too," Mrs. Weasley insisted.  
  
"But mum, I'm hardly a kid anymore!" Bill said, crossing his arms across his chest.  
  
"William Griffith Weasley! Out of my kitchen now!" Molly screeched. Bill turned on his heel and scampered out of the kitchen as fast as a 30 year old man can scamper.  
  
*****  
  
Dear Barrett,  
  
Happy Birthday. Today would be your eighth. It's kind of rainy here today, not snowing as should be expected from Northern England in mid-late December. I would be surprised, only it hasn't snowed on your birthday since you turned three, only rained. Do you have something to do with that? Next year you should make it warm and sunny. That would really make people have kittens.  
  
Speaking of kittens, Astrid got two for Christmas from two of her friends. The kittens' names are Alroy and Juliet. She was telling me about them today. She had to send them home with her friend for the holidays because she was afraid of what Keiran would do. So Astrid is definitely the first Malfoy ever in Gryffindor, which came as a shock to all of us. Keiran and I were utterly rotten to her for first term. Keiran will still be rotten, but she and I were both on the receiving end of a punishment courtesy of Lucius last night. While I still don't approve of her friends, I have to feel sorry for her. So I'm trying to refrain from calling her traitor, at least while we're at home. I'll need to keep up appearances and everything at school though. Astrid's best friends at school are definitely Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. While I hate the fact that she's in Gryffindor and that she's friends with them, I don't mind the fact that Potter and Weasel stand in as the big brothers that I can't be. Just as long as she doesn't ask me to be friends with them, it will be okay. She's also really good friends with a second year boy and a couple of the first year boys in her house, as well as one of the Hufflepuff girls.  
  
Keiran, is, as always, Keiran. He's a snotty little bastard, and a stereotypical Slytherin. He's following in my footsteps well, and I suspect he'll rule over the common room by the time he's a fifth or sixth year. He made the Quidditch team this year, but only as a reserve. He's actually the reserve seeker, and I'm the reserve Keeper. Next year he'll be the seeker and I'll be the keeper when Pucey graduates. He's allowed to attend the meetings that Casey Warrington holds. I think I told you about those in earlier letters, maybe last year?  
  
Emma, is, well, Emma. She took Astrid's side on the whole Gryffindor/Slytherin mess, and so I haven't really talked to her lately. Not that I ever really talked to her much before. She's taller than Keiran now, and she still has those goofy glasses. I'm glad I only have to wear mine occasionally. Mainly when I don't feel like charming my eyes so I can read.  
  
So Saturday night was the annual Yule Ball. I went with my girlfriend of two months, Finley Alexander. Okay, close your mouth and get over the surprise of me having a girlfriend because I'm getting ready to break up with her because Lucius is a bastard. Oh sure, she's pureblooded, but her parents don't believe in tattooing so she's not even up to Lucius's standards. I'm really into Finley. She's a great girl. She even sort of wants to make me be nice. Or less of a bastard. She's got a great sense of humor and is incredibly sarcastic, but I don't want her to get hurt by Lucius or any of his henchmen. I know this sounds incredibly clichéd and all, but it's the truth. Well, that and I sort of miss single life so if things with Lucius settle down, I can always get back with Fin after a bit of a break.  
  
In other news, I'm Slytherin Seeker, Prefect and still the best looking guy in all of Hogwarts. How is that for short sweet and to the point? Well, I believe this is all for now. I have another letter to write before I'm expected to be at dinner. With it being the solstice and all, I may get to go cause some mischief with Lucius and his friends. Expect another of these at the same time next year I suppose.  
  
Your Brother  
Draco  
  
Draco carefully picked up the parchment and blew on the ink at the bottom of it. When the letter was satisfactorily dry, he picked it up and rolled it carefully. He stood up from his desk and started towards the window. He pulled back the forest green curtains and pushed the latch in the center of the window, making it swing outwards. He leaned out the window. Holding his wand in one hand and the letter in the other, he aimed a spell at the letter. Quickly, small blue flames curled around the edge of the letter. The tiny fire consumed the letter and illuminated Draco's pale hand in the quickly fading sunlight.  
  
"Every year you write a letter and every year you burn it. Who is it too?" a female voice asked from the other side of the room. The letter fluttered to the ground as Draco had released it in his surprise.  
  
"Who do you think?" he asked as he turned to glare at his youngest sister.  
  
"I figured as much," Emma said. She looked at the ground through her oval shaped glasses and took a seat on the edge of his green bed. "Do you miss her?"  
  
"No," Draco lied. "I simply write her a letter every year on her birthday because mum asked me to."  
  
"Since when do you ever do anything anyone asks you to?" Emma shot back. She tucked a strand of white blonde hair behind her ear and looked imploringly at her older brother for an answer.  
  
"Since when she was alive, Barrett did sort of look up to me," Draco snapped. He threw himself down on his desk chair.  
  
"That doesn't explain why you write the letters for mum," Emma countered.  
  
"Shove it," Draco spat. He glared evilly at his little sister.  
  
"Look. I was just trying to be helpful, but since you're clearly just going to be a bloody wanker, I'm here to say that mum wants you at dinner in 30 minutes. You are to wear your best dress robes and be properly presentable." With that announcement, Emma turned on her heel and stormed from Draco's room. Draco looked at the door his sister had just run through.  
  
"It's bwoody wankuh," he muttered. He slowly turned back to his desk and picked up another piece of parchment. He spread it out on his desk and clutched his quill tightly in his left hand.  
  
Finley  
  
It's over. I just needed a hot date for the Yule Ball. Now that that's done, your purpose has been fulfilled The two months were fun while they lasted, but I must say, Parkinson is much better to "be with" than you ever will be.  
  
Thanks  
Draco  
  
Draco leaned back in his seat and admired his handiwork. Finley would be so irate that she would never speak to him. At least not until he was ready to date her again. He was sure there would be a next time. He was, after all, Draco Malfoy. He rolled the letter up and sealed it with a drop of wax. He walked over to his window, whistling for his eagle owl on the way. Adonis, the owl, landed on Draco's arm. Draco attached the letter to the owl's leg and whispered an address to it in Old English. The owl took flight and Draco headed over to his closet to find his dress robes.  
  
*****  
  
"Do you William, take Arabella to be your lawfully wedded wife?" the ministry of magic official asked Bill Weasley. The couple stood at the altar flanked by Charlie on Bill's side and Harry on Arabella's. Bill held Arabella's hands in both of his.  
  
"Mawwiage. Mawwiage is what bwings us togethaw today. Mawwiage, that bwessed awwangement, that dweam within a dweam!" George whispered loud enough for Fred, Percy, Penelope, Hermione and Jo to hear. Fred and Jo stifled their giggles while Hermione, Percy and Penelope passed glares around to the pair of Weasleys and the out of control Granger. Angelina reached up from her seat behind the twins and thumped George soundly on the back of his head. George turned around and glared at his ex-girlfriend while rubbing a spot on the back of his head.  
  
*Pop* *Pop Pop* *Pop Pop Pop Pop Pop* *Pop Pop Pop* *Pop* *Pop*  
  
Thirteen black robed, black hooded figures surrounded the clearing where the wedding was in progress. Jo let out a shriek loud enough to wake the dead. Hermione calmly reached over and clamped her hand over her mother's mouth, never taking her eyes off of the circling death eaters. Wands appeared from pockets of the majority of the group. Arabella's father stepped up to stand next to Harry. He pulled his wand and clapped Harry roughly on his shoulder, wild blue eye swiveling madly in its socket. Harry felt relieved that Mad Eye Moody was on their side. Arabella hadn't disclosed her father's identity at any point before he clumped into the Burrow's kitchen on his one good, one wooden legs. They and Arabella's brother Aberdeen all claimed it was for everyone's safety.  
  
"What do you want?" Arabella asked, pointing her wand at the Death Eater exactly opposite from her. The Death Eater raised his wand and fired off a spell into the crowd. A friend of Bill and Arabella's from school crumpled onto the ground.  
  
"They struck first," Moody mumbled under his breath, his wand trained at a spot between two death eaters. Harry, too, chose a Death Eater and held his wand pointed at center mass. He noticed that Bill, Arabella and Charlie had all chosen a death eater also. Mad-Eye Moody caught the eyes of Hermione, Ron and the Weasley twins. He nodded at them. Arabella and Bill held Mr. And Mrs. Weasley's attention, while Remus Lupin stood at the end of the aisle alongside a large black dog.  
  
"STUPEFY!" Moody roared. The rest of the gathered crowd took his spell as a signal to begin firing their own. The air was soon bright with flying spells. The first Death Eater fell to the ground. Harry managed to put his Death Eater in a full body bind.  
  
"Stupefy!" Bill shouted, effectively stunning a Death Eater who was about to curse Arabella.  
  
"Aqueous Reducto!" Five more "pop's" sounded, and one of the reinforcements shouted a spell that slowly began removing all of the water from Bill's body.  
  
"Aqueous Restoro," Arabella recited the counter spell to save her not-quite husband. The Death Eater who had hit Bill rolled to the ground under the weight of the ominous black dog.  
  
"HHHEEEEEEE-YYYAAAAA!" a squat grey haired lady barreled down the aisle. With a flying kick, she bowled the Death Eater nearest to Harry to the ground. Harry looked at her slack jawed.  
  
"Don't just stand there boy, stun him!" the lady declared. Harry effectively placed a stunning spell on the Death Eater, as Arabella Figg, the older babysitter version ducked behind Harry.  
  
"Where did you come from?" Harry asked, glancing backwards at his old babysitter.  
  
"Nevermind that boy, just shield me," Arabella commanded. Harry glanced over and saw the younger version of Arabella Figg fighting between her father and her not quite husband. Harry glanced back over his shoulder to the older Miss Figg, but instead found a Weasley twin.  
  
"Now I'm REALLY going to fuck with their heads!" the twin cackled, before heading out to where Fred and George had a Death Eater in a Mobilus Corpus, lolling like a puppet on a string between the two of them.  
  
"HARRY! BEHIND YOU!" Hermione shouted. Harry ducked, and Hermione hit the Death Eater with a Wingardium Leviosa that catapulted him into the nearest tree. He hung in the topmost branches by the back of his robes. Hermione ran over and exchanged a quick high five with Harry. Only then did they notice Remus Lupin standing to the left of the back of the aisle. He had a Death Eater in either hand. Wand forgotten on the ground, he was busy banging the Death Eater's together like a large black pair of cymbals. Harry glanced over and found the three Weasley twins dancing a circle around two very confused Death Eaters.  
  
"There are only supposed to be two of you!" one of the Death Eaters cried. A mad cackle issued from two of the twins. Harry wasn't quite sure which were real and which one wasn't.  
  
"Harry," Hermoine's urgent tugging on the sleeve of his robe made Harry turn and look to where she was pointing. Bill, Arabella and Moody were standing back to back to back inside a circle of six Death Eaters. Charlie lay slightly outside the circle, unconscious and bleeding profusely from his mouth and one ear.  
  
"Hermione, you go see about," Harry began, only to realize that Hermione had already taken off towards the fallen Weasley. Harry headed over towards the circling Death Eaters.  
  
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" a war whoop came tearing forth out of the mouths of the Weasley twins and a short girl with lower back length neon green hair. The three rushed past Harry and dived onto the backs of three of the Death Eater's allowing Moody, Arabella and Bill to attack the other three. Fred and George bowled their death eaters to the ground, while the unidentified girl simply clung to the back of her Death Eater and held on for dear life. She threw her weight from side to side in attempt to knock the Death Eater over. Finally tired of swinging around with the Death Eater, she slowly began to increase in size until there was a severely obese, balding man hanging where the girl had been only moments before. Harry blinked twice and looked at the toppling Death Eater. The Death Eater shrieked wildly, and with a series of pops, the remaining Death Eater's disappeared. Sirius still growled ferociously at the Death Eater trapped under his weight. The Death Eater was unconscious and therefore unable to apparate. Hermione's Death Eater had disapparated from the tree. The two Lupin had been playing lay in a heap at the end of the aisle. The Death Eater the mysterious Arabella Figg had kicked still lay on the ground, courtesy of Harry's stunner. The Death Eater Harry put in the body- bind, however, had gotten away. The one the twins had been playing with before the arrival of the mysterious third Weasley twin had also disapparated. The two the three twins had taken care of had also gotten away, courtesy of the first Death Eater. The three Arabella, Moody and Bill had taken on at the very end were all crumpled on the ground.  
  
"Eight out of eighteen," Moody said, surveying the damage, "not bad."  
  
"Half," Ron and Braeden cried proudly from the back corner of the benches. Everyone turned to look at the two boys. Between them lay a black and blue Death Eater. His hood was thrown back and his face was covered in blossoming brusies.  
  
"What happened to him?" Bill asked.  
  
"We pulled a Hermione," Ron admitted sheepishly.  
  
"You WHAT?" Hermione asked.  
  
"We forgot we were wizards and simply beat the hell out of him!" Ron clamped his hands to his mouth as soon as the word hell slipped out. He glanced around nervously, hoping his mother didn't hear him, but Molly was in no condition to hear anyone. She had fallen victim to a stunner and was lying sprawled in the middle of the aisle.  
  
"Well then," Moody said, stepping to the front of the group. "Of the gathered here, who is injured?"  
  
"Charlie," came Hermione's frantic reply. She had turned the second oldest Weasley boy onto his back and managed to stop the bleeding, but her attempts to revive him weren't working.  
  
"Molly is out, but I think she's just been stunned," Arthur said from where he knelt beside his fallen wife.  
  
"Ginny," came Fred and George's chorus. Fred jokingly poked his collapsed little sister with the toe of his boot. Braeden stepped away from the fallen death eater and sprinted towards Ginny. He almost crashed into Natalia who was limping towards Charlie.  
  
"Natalia, are you okay?" Moody asked when he noticed Natalia's limp. Natalia nodded through gritted teeth. She collapsed on the ground next to her boyfriend and gathered his head into her lap. Only then did anyone notice the weird angle her knee was twisted to.  
  
"Anyone else?" Moody asked. The victim of the original spell came limping forwards.  
  
"Are you alright?" Moody asked her.  
  
"I'm just a little shaken up at this point," she replied.  
  
"Anyone else?" Moody asked. The crowd nervously looked around, each hoping no one else would step forward. Oh sure, most people had the occasion scratch or bruise, but there weren't anymore major injuries.  
  
"So what do we do?" someone from the crowd asked.  
  
"Abject prayer and supplication come to mind," Weston quipped before Moody could reply.  
  
"I'll still serve dinner for anyone who wants to stay, however, feel free to leave at any time you wish," Molly called.  
  
"Molly, are you really sure you're up to that?" Arthur asked. He had just finished reviving his wife.  
  
"Yes," Molly insisted, dusting her robes off as she spoke.  
  
"Thank you all for coming to our wedding," Bill called, "I'm sorry it had to end this way."  
  
"Those Death Eaters will be sorry too!" Mad Eye Moody muttered gruffly under his breath "No one ruins my baby's wedding and gets away with it."  
  
"Oh daddy!" Arabella said. She cast a sweet smile in her father's direction. "My wedding would only be ruined if bill had died." Bill slipped an arm around his wife-to-be's shoulders and dropped a kiss on her temple.  
  
"So what do you say we get the two of you married?" the priest asked. Bill nodded and Arabella happily followed the priest.  
  
"Hey Ron!" Bill called over his shoulder.  
  
"Yes," Ron called back.  
  
"My best man is out, so will you come stand with me?" Bill asked.  
  
"Certainly!" Ron exclaimed. He went over to Charlie to find Bella's ring in his older brother's pocket.  
  
"Come on, Harry," Arabella called. Harry waited a moment for Ron to catch up with him, then the pair followed the couple and the ministry official. Just behind them Moody and Arthur began delegating responsibilities. Hermione led her parents off to begin explaining the saga of her life as a witch.  
  
*****  
  
"So what is your final answer?" a large man dressed in a black robe asked. He loomed over a couple sitting on the couch. The man on the couch was tall with no hair on the top of his head and black fuzz around his ears and the back of his head. The woman had long brownish-blonde hair, a ski-slope nose, and dark blue eyes.  
  
"We said, NO!" the man insisted.  
  
"Goyle, Malfoy, Avery, Nott, Bring them in!" the Death Eater insisted. A large Death Eater, Goyle, walked in, holding a squirming toddler in his arms. The toddler looked like a doll in comparison to the sheer size of the death eater. The man was at least 6'8" and weighed well over 300 pounds. His massive bulk made everyone in the room look small in comparison. Another Death Eater, Malfoy, followed him. Malfoy was smaller and skinnier, and had a long silvery blonde pony tail trailing down the back of his robes. He held the hand of a very dazed looking seven year old boy. The final two Death Eaters were the smallest yet, and between them walked a teenage girl. She glared menacingly at Avery and Nott as they held her arms..  
  
"Now watch," the first Death Eater commanded. Goyle grabbed the toddler by her ankles. The baby's squirms turned to howls of anguish. Goyle swung her back behind him before bringing her towards the wall with full force. The baby's head came into contact with the wall with a sickening crack and a dull thud. Her squirming and screaming stopped and Goyle dropped her to a heap in the floor.  
  
"Aqueous Reducto," came Malfoy's spell to the little boy. Almost instantly, a puddle began forming at the boy's feet.  
  
"Mummy, what's happening," the boy asked, looking fearfully up at his mother.  
  
"My baby!" the woman screamed, struggling to jump off of the couch.  
  
"Petrificus Totalus!" came the first Death Eater's spell to stop a repeat of the Lily Potter incident. The puddle at the boy's feet grew larger and his skin began to stretch tightly across his bones. His eyes shrunk in their sockets until they looked like raisins. Jelly like goo ran down his face in large chunks. His skin began to split at his joints and shrivel around the splits. Bone and dehydrated muscle showed through the splits. The boy fell to the floor, a perfectly preserved skeleton complete with dried muscle and bone.  
  
"Let's have a little fun with this one," Avery said said, looking at Nott over the head of the teenage girl. Nott reached under his robes. The Death Eater standing over the couple quickly bound the father to the couch. Before Nott could finish his business under his robes, the girl brought her heel down sharply on Avery's toe and kicked Nott in his crotch. She began heading for the door.  
  
"Gladium" The first Death Eater said. Avery and Nott hopped madly about the room.  
  
"Crucio, crucio." Malfoy muttered. The pair collapsed on the floor in shrieking heaps. "That should take care of them, Rookwood."  
  
"Now what is your answer?" Rookwood asked the couple. Goyle and Malfoy came to stand at the man's elbows.  
  
"NEVER!" The man on the couch screamed.  
  
"Avada Kedavara!" Rookwood and Malfoy said at the exact same time, killing both of the couch's occupants. They glanced over their shoulder to see the girl crumple into a pool of her own blood, caused by the invisible sword the spell used to pierce her through her heart.  
  
*****  
  
"My Lord," a Death Eater sank to his knees at the feet of the Dark Lord.  
  
"Yes?" Voldemort asked.  
  
"The mission has been accomplished. Pettigrew is captured, the family is killed." Voldemort used the toe of his black boot to lift the hood off of the man's face.  
  
"Very good Lucius." Voldemort commended. "Did we suffer any losses?"  
  
"Watson, Greer, McDaniel, Andrews, Kirkpatrick, Julian, Talbot, and Lexington were all also captured."  
  
"Of no consequence," Voldemort said airily.  
  
*****  
  
"FRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEDDDDDDDDDDDDDDOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMM!" Sirius screeched as he barreled into the smaller dining room in the basement of the Burrow. He had just finished helping Arabella, Bill and Moody cart the prisoners, among them Peter Pettigrew, off to the Ministry of Magic.  
  
"Yes Sirius, Freedom. Now could you sit down so this meeting can begin?" Dumbledore asked. Sirius vaulted over the back of a chair and into the seat next to the mysterious woman with the green hair.  
  
"I have called you all here to discuss a very important matter," Dumbledore said from his position at the head of the table. Seated around him were the entire Weasley clan, except for Charlie and including Arabella Weasley, Harry, Hermione, the odd green haired girl, Remus Lupin, Sirius, Moody, Aberdeen Figg and his wife Helen, and a few more people Harry didn't recognize.  
  
"As you may or may not know, the attack on Bill and Arabella's wedding was simply a distraction to keep some of the ministry's best aurors away from the scene of the real crime. At the same time as this attack, another group of Death Eaters attacked a household north of muggle London," Dumbledore tugged at his beard again and looked over to Arthur Weasley.  
  
"The family consisted of two parents, a fourteen-year-old daughter, a seven-year-old son and a two-year-old daughter. They were pureblooded wizards." The last statement elicited a gasp from everyone gathered.  
  
"What does this mean?" Penelope Weasley ventured to ask.  
  
"It means, most likely, that Dark Lord is attempting to gain followers and this family refused," Bill said grimly. "And they paid with their lives." Penelope winced visibly.  
  
"Wait, a 14-year-old?" Ron asked.  
  
"Yes," Dumbledore replied. "She was a student at Hogwarts, in the same year as your sister, but not a member of your house. I can't release her name right now because of the Ministry."  
  
"What is the Ministry saying about the attacks?" the green haired girl asked.  
  
"As of right now, they're blaming both Death Eater attacks on the fact that it's the winter solstice. There is no conclusive evidence that Voldemort was at either sight," Dumbledore said. Sighs and groans rippled through the crowd.  
  
"That bunch of creepy, slimy, good for nothing, pieces of shit, maggot ridden," the green haired girl began. Sirius and Remus both clamped hands over her mouth.  
  
"We all know how you feel about the Death Eaters," Remus said. He carefully removed his hand from the girl's mouth.  
  
"I was talking about the Ministry," the girl declared.  
  
"Nympho, that is completely uncalled for!" Sirius exclaimed.  
  
"Hey, what I do in my spare time is none of your business!" the girl exclaimed. "and besides, you feel the same way! Hey WAIT! I'm not a! SIRIUS BLACK!" She quickly slapped Sirius four times in quick succession on his shoulder.  
  
"If you children are quite through!" Dumbledore coughed from the podium.  
  
"Sorry Professor Dumbledore," Sirius and the girl both said. They looked at Dumbledore with properly apologetic, properly childish expressions on their similar features.  
  
"Just to pause here for a moment. For those of you, the girl with green hair there is Nymphadora Jaxon Tonks, resident Auror and Metamorphmagus."  
  
"What girl with green hair?" Tonks asked. Her hair was bright pink and spiky. "And Tonks is fine."  
  
"At any rate, a meeting of the Order of the Phoenix will be held at a later date to discuss that matter, for there is a more pressing matter at hand," Dumbledore explained. Harry looked over at Ron and quirked his eyebrow in a silent question concerning the Order of the Phoenix. Ron shrugged his shoulders at Harry. Hermione smiled smugly at the two boys. Both made mental notes to ask her later.  
  
"In the other attack, the parents and the two oldest children were killed by spells. However, the baby was left to muggle methods, and they failed. The baby, despite being thrown into a wall, survived with serious injury and is being held at St. Mungo's." A slight cheer rippled across the room.  
  
"The death's of her parents pose a bit of a problem though. The will states that if anything were to happen to the parents, the two younger children would go to their older sister because all grandparents are dead, the father was an only child and the mother's one sister is clinically insane. Problem being, baby Sloane is the only survivor," Arthur explained.  
  
"St. Mungo's refuses to treat Sloane until she has a legal guardian and the Ministry of Magic, in an emergency meeting earlier today, deemed that she would go to a Muggle Orphanage unless a wizard stepped forward to adopt her," Bill finished.  
  
"The Ministry has charged me with deciding baby Sloane's future," Dumbledore said.  
  
"We can't let her go to orphanage," Molly insisted. "We'll take her!"  
  
"Molly, baby Sloane may have lasting effects of the attack, and we'd prefer someone a bit younger. You already have seven of your own and I'm certain Grandchildren are on their way," Dumbledore said gently.  
  
"You're right," Molly said. She looked over to Arabella.  
  
"We'll do it," Penelope insisted.  
  
"We'll not! I don't have time for a baby!" Percy insisted. "Especially not a two year old with problems." Arabella and Bill exchanged a look.  
  
"What about my mum and dad?" Hermione asked.  
  
"They've got a baby on the way," Dumbledore replied.  
  
"I'll take her!" Tonks exclaimed gleefully.  
  
"You're not mature enough for a baby!" Sirius exclaimed.  
  
"Yes I am! See?" She exclaimed, quickly morphing into old Arabella Figg.  
  
"If any of the three of us should take us it should be Remus," Sirius said, thumping Tonks on her forehead.  
  
"Hey! Sirius has an idea!" Tonks cried. "And it's a good one!"  
  
"Explain yourself Tonks," Dumbledore said.  
  
"Well. He's a werewolf so he can't have children, but he proved as a professor that he loves children, so who better to take the baby?" Tonks asked.  
  
"I can take care of her with my job. The hours are flexible," Remus offered, his face lighting up at the prospect of being a father.  
  
"Is that okay with everyone?" Dumbledore asked. Nods abounded all around the table.  
  
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Dumbledore asked Remus.  
  
"Yes," Remus said. Secretly, he'd been trying to work up the courage to volunteer before Loud and Louder beat him to it.  
  
"Well come with me, we need to get to St. Mungo's."  
  
*****  
  
Draco sat at his desk, trying to concentrate on his potion's text. He had reread the same sentence three times. He secretly wondered what his father was doing. As a punishment, he had been left out of that night's Death Eater activities even though the Dark Lord had given Lucius permission to bring Draco along. He glanced out of his window and noticed an owl spiraling towards him. The owl was Adonis, and he had a letter tied to his leg, but he hadn't had time to receive a letter from anywhere. Adonis stopped at the window and tapped politely with his beak. Draco jumped up and ran for the window. He pulled the letter from Adonis's leg and immediately recognized his own wax seal. 


	31. Chapter 31

Quite possibly the weirdest chapter to date  
  
They're not mine, although if she ever decides to give them away.  
  
Nat rocks.  
  
Thanks for the reviews.  
  
Please review!  
  
That being said.  
  
*****  
  
To Whom It May Concern,  
Mrs. Weasley has instructed us all to separate ourselves from one another and write letters. Evidently in the Weasley household, it is a tradition for the children and anyone else who wants to write letters concerning their wishes for the upcoming year. These letters are usually written between Solstice and Christmas Day. Being as how it's December 22nd, she decided today would be a perfect day. To give us examples, she showed us some of her children's letters from when they were younger. Ron's and Fred's were especially funny. All Ron wanted for Christmas when he was four was "a real, live, air pain." He insists that he meant to write airplane, because Arthur had been talking about them earlier that week. Still, some of Fred and George's questions about bodily functions have been nothing if not hilarious. Fred, at age eight, wanted a girlfriend. I'm not sure George WILL let him hear the end of it. Angelina is making comments about how it only took him ten years for that wish to come true. Mrs. Weasley also promised that after the age of about 10, the letters tend to get more personal, so she doesn't read them. At which point Fred and George threw in a comment about Ginny still having her letter read. Ginny was irate, so Mrs. Weasley sent us all away. That being said, I guess I should start this letter, or I suppose continue with what I've started.  
I suppose, rather than writing my wishes for the upcoming year, I shall write my wishes for Christmas. For Christmas, I wish I could write that I want something deep and philosophical, like world peace. Don't get me wrong, I do want world peace, it's just that I realize that's not entirely logical to wish for at this point. So for Christmas, I simply want Christmas day to pass without incident. What happened at and during Bill and Bella's wedding is completely uncalled for. Not only was what should have been the absolute happiest day of Bill and Bella's lives ruined, but also an entire family was killed prematurely, and there is a little girl out there who will never know her real parents. I'm sure Professor Lupin will be a wonderful father, but seriously, won't the girl need more of a motherly influence. As I understand, Professor Lupin, Sirius and Tonks have a flat in London. I think I feel more sorry for the poor girl because the female influence she will have is TONKS! Don't get me wrong, Tonks is a great person. I suppose I should stop worrying about it. I just wish I knew who the girl's family was. Dumbledore and Lupin have already had baby Sloane's name changed to Sloane Alexandra Lupin. The Ministry still hasn't decided how to cover the story in the papers, so they haven't made the official release yet. Therefore, none of the older Weasleys can tell us yet, and they seem to be following the Ministry on at least that. It's eating me up inside though. I can distinctly remember Astrid saying someone had a cutest baby sister, Sloane, but I can't for the life of me remember who she said the older sister was. For some reason, I think the girl is, or was a Quidditch player. Maybe I should send Sebastian to Astrid later and see what she knows about the whole situation. I think that could be interesting to find out. Otherwise, I suppose we'll find out when everyone else does. I'm not sure the Malfoys would take well to a "mudblood's" owl showing up at their house. I think I've just stumbled upon my true Christmas wish. I wish that the word mudblood could be erased from the English language, never to be replaced by another word with the same meaning.  
Now I shall write about what I wish for the upcoming year. I wish first and foremost that my baby sibling will arrive safely and completely healthy. At this point, I also wish for a brother, because Weston Edward Granger Jr. is much better than that name my parents have come up with for a sister. I would rather have a sister, but only if they pick a name other than Jaquenetta. I suggested Samantha to them. They must not have gotten that letter. If for some odd reason they do choose Samantha, I will be highly amused. Ron is actually the one who suggested that name, so he'd be the one responsible for naming my baby sister. I hope that all of my friends will be able to be back here at the same time and place next year together. I hope Harry remains sane and safe. He's only fifteen. The powers that are really need to cut the poor boy some slack. I hope Ron stays much as he is. Quidditch crazy and easily embarrassed. I wish for Ginny and Braeden the best of luck in holding their relationship together. I know it has to be difficult with him being in France. Fred and I have a hard enough time and he's simply across the dorm. May Fred and I continue to have as much fun in the coming year as we've had in the past three or so months, and if the fun runs out, let us be intelligent enough to call it quits without making it painful for either of us. I hope Astrid can remain the most courageous person this side of Harry that I've ever met. The battle that she's chosen to fight amazes me. Harry really had all of his mess dumped on him. Astrid chose to go against her entire family. She really is a strong little person. And that brings me to my final wish. I wish for the people fighting for the light side, the right side to have Harry's courage, Astrid's strength, Audra Figg's sense of fair play, baby Sloane's will to survive and a good dose of the Weasley twins' sense of humor. They're all going to need it.  
  
Good Luck  
Hermione Lenore Granger  
  
%%%%%  
  
Dear Santa,  
Auntie Arabella won't really explain who you are, but she says I should write this letter to you anyway. For Christmas I want Uncle Bill's brother with the red hair to stop bothering me. I want a pony and maybe a trip to visit Auntie Arabella and Uncle Bill once they get a house. That is all.  
Love  
Audra  
  
%%%%%  
  
Dear Harry Potter,  
Wow this seems weird to be writing. I haven't written one of these since I was about eight and that was actually before I had met Harry. I used to think that if he could destroy he-who-must-not-be-named, then of course he could grant my Christmas wishes. Now that I know Harry, and he is, in fact, sitting somewhere in this very house, most likely writing one of these, the heading to my letter seems somewhat ridiculous. However, "To whom it may concern" sounds a bit too Hermione, so I'll stick with writing to Harry.  
So for the following year. Wow. Braeden needs to move to England. He could live with Jo and Weston in the summers and go to Hogwarts. He'd be in Gryffindor. Of course, that would mean Ron might loose his position as Gryffindor's keeper, because from what I've heard Braeden is an absolutely fantastic keeper. So maybe if it's not too much to ask for, Braeden could trade in his Quidditch skills to live in England until he's graduated from Hogwarts. Would that work do you think? An immediate wish is for Charlie to wake up. He's been out cold since that Death Eater hit him with a spell last night. Dumbledore, Madame Pomfrey and three or four ministry specialists have looked at him, and no one knows what is wrong with him, what the spell was, or how, when, or if he'll wake up. I know with seven children and two parents. Never mind. It's almost Christmas. I don't want to talk or think about this right now. Also, I'd like to put in a wish for Sloane Lupin to be okay. Thinking of Professor Lupin having a child is just a little weird. I just hope she's all right. To have survived Death Eaters, wow, the child must be in a category with Harry or something. I just really wish I knew who her older sister was. The girl was in my grade. It could have just as easily been Jae or Piper. Or that loony Luna Lovegood. Only we would know if it was the Lovegoods, as they only live on the other side of town. I figure it was probably a Slytherin. But I really don't think my Christmas letter is the place to debate this. I'll simply steal Argus from the twins and send him to Astrid. Unless of course the Malfoys have put protective curses around their house to keep anything Weasley out. That wouldn't surprise me. How can they produce a daughter as cool as Astrid and sons as horribly awful as Draco and Keiran? Of course, Lucius is a prick. This is a Christmas letter. Peace on earth and goodwill to men and all that rot. I shouldn't call people pricks.  
So, as cliché as that may be, my final wish would have to be for peace on earth and goodwill to men. We're going to need it.  
Love  
Ginny  
  
%%%%%  
  
To the powers that are.  
  
I want my two front teeth.  
  
Thanks Tonks.  
  
P.S. I wouldn't say no to Voldey's head on a pike either, just below Cornelius Fudge's.  
  
%%%%%  
  
Dumbledore,  
Mum's got us writing these letters again. You would think we're six again. But I suppose it's good for the younger kids, and even Harry and Ron and Hermione. Especially with everything that's going on in the world and all. And mum hasn't raised five successful children and the most famous pranksters since Sirius Black who are only just behind the record held by Nymphadora Tonks for career detentions without learning a few things. So I'm sure this is for a reason and a very good one at that. I can see where the writing could be therapeutic, most especially for Ron and his friends. I can barely imagine what those kids have been through, and they're only 15. Of course, what they've done probably pales in comparison to what they have yet to face. I almost wish I could trade places with Ron or Harry. If it would make life easier for them, and give them a chance to actually be kids, then I would do it in a second. Well. Only if Arabella could trade with Hermione.  
If anyone had told me in my first year at Hogwarts that 19 years later, I would be married to Arabella Figg, I would have called them daft. She's honestly the best thing that has ever happened to me since being born a Weasley. I swear that if anything happens to her in the coming year, I will personally hunt down the people who did whatever it is and sign the rest of my life away to Azkaban. Of course, she is an Auror. I don't think I need to worry about her too much. She is, after all, the one who saved my arse from certain death at our wedding. The Death Eater used a water reduction spell on me. I saw the remains of a victim of that spell when I was helping the clean up crew at the scene of the other attack. I have to think of it as remains and a victim, because otherwise. I'll leave it at that. The boy was a mummy when we found him. His bones were in a pile with light tan leather stretched tight over them. His eyes were grey raisins and the remains of his hair littered his bones. His sister was lying in a pool of her own blood with a hole in her chest that I could put my fist through. When we were moving her body, we slipped with her, and my hand did sink into the wound up to my wrist. If it weren't against all the rules of proper etiquette to vomit on a crime scene, I would have lost my lunch right then and there. Arabella showed up right about then and she had to walk with me out back. She held me. I felt like I should be crying, but I didn't have the tears. I felt like I needed to be sick, but my throat wouldn't open. I felt like I should say something, but I didn't have the words. And then, just as Arabella had wrapped her arms around me and assured me that life goes on, Tonks came floundering out of the house. Yes, she was floundering. I don't think I've met a more clumsy person in my life. I could tell she was excited because her hair flashed between green, pink, purple and neon orange. She only does that when something is really important, or, well, exciting. She did it when she was a second year during her first Quidditch match, and I heard it happened when she found out about her owl results too. So her hair looked like the lights in a disco. Arabella asked her what was up, since my throat still wasn't working properly. She announced something along the lines of baby, lives, inside, and wall. Arabella guessed something about a baby living inside a wall, and Tonks finally gave us the news that baby Sloane lived. Lupin eventually adopted baby Sloane. He'll be a great father. There is some talk of baby Sloane being paralyzed, but they're not sure yet, it's a bit early to tell according to the people at St. Mungo's. So for all of today, Remus has been chasing Sirius and Tonks around fussing about the condition of their flat. Sirius insists they don't have room for a baby without him having to share a room with Tonks, and he doesn't sound too enthusiastic about that. Going on the principal that it takes a village to raise a child, Arabella has offered to let the three of them and baby Sloane move in with us. We're going to move into her house. There are three bedrooms, so she and I will have one, Remus and Sloane will have one, and Tonks will have one. Sirius can take over the basement. This would be uncomfortable in many situations, but Bella is a witch and I'm a wizard. We went to boarding school. We know the value of silencing spells.  
So my wedding and my first night as a married man didn't go off quite as planned. Damn Voldemort. But I'm not complaining. Bella and I are both still alive. I would like to put in a slight request on Charlie's behalf though. Right now, my other half is lying in a bed about half of a meter away from me, dead to the world. I really don't like that too much. He's supposed to be awake and chasing Audra Figg around this house, making more noise than the twins. Could you please, please, please do something to make him get better, or to at least let us figure out what is wrong with him? I don't think I can handle loosing him, not now, not ever, but now more than ever. He's been my best friend since he was two. Sure he's a big oaf at heart. His sense of humor is a little off-color, and he enjoys picking on Audra Figg more than anyone should, but I can't imagine not having him around. He saw me off to my first year at Hogwarts. He came with mum and dad to watch me fly in my first Quidditch match. When he got to Hogwarts, he took my place on the Quidditch team and became my teammate. He's always been the person I go to with everything. I discussed proposing to Arabella with him before I breathed a word to anyone else. I mean, this is, after all, the guy who walked in on me and my very first girlfriend snogging in the Astronomy tower. He hit me with a metal truck and chipped my tooth when he was four and I was seven. After what I saw yesterday, I can't handle loosing him too. I know I'm being selfish. At least let him come too long enough for us to have proper goodbyes. Last night he began bleeding from his mouth and ear again. I know enough about medi-magic to know that's not a good thing. Actually, I also need to fuss at him for not being able to stand next to me at my wedding because he was out cold, so if I can have my brother back, I would much appreciate it. I don't know how I would survive without him.  
For the next year, I want the strength and courage to face whatever life throws at me. I have a feeling there are a few bad bludgers in all of our futures. I also want to learn to be the husband and father that my father is. I believe this is all and I hope I'm not asking too much.  
Bill  
  
%%%%%  
  
Dear Fred,  
Well brother, it has been a most extremely interesting year. Angelina, after being with me for a year, decided to break up with me not too many days before our year anniversary. The details are probably still a little fuzzy. They're a little fuzzy even to me. I think I sort of expected something to happen, she had been growing more and more distant. Then at the Yule Ball, we were dancing next to Lee and 'Rissa, slow dancing as usual, you know? Then all of the sudden, out of the blue, Angelina tells me that I'm not serious enough about her Quidditch career, and she doesn't have time for a boyfriend. She stops dancing and then goes over and proceeds to talk to Coltan and some other people for the rest of the night. I guess Katie just figured out what happened. She walked over to me and told me I promised her a dance, which I had. So we danced. And then we danced again. And then we danced about eight more times. I think we both lost track of the music because we got quite absorbed in our conversation. After the ball was over, she and I walked up to this, well, not telling because you'll take over our secret space with Hermione if I do. So she and I went up to this place you and I discovered. I don't think we made it back to the common room until about 5 a.m., and all we were doing was talking. Honestly! And I've never had a conversation with anyone except for maybe you where I only had to complete half of my sentences or thoughts, because she knew exactly what I was talking about or thinking. I was amazed. I think I'm falling for her. But I'm not sure if it's just a reaction to being dumped by Angelina, and I wonder if Katie feels the same way. And how would Angelina take it if I got together with one of her best friends just a little while after she and I broke up, or ever? But I do suppose it is her loss. She is the one who dumped me. So the statement I made yesterday about just waiting for the right time to go public isn't exactly true. I've still gotta make a few decisions and make sure Katie feels the same way I suppose. I just wish my love life could be as easy as yours seems to be. However, I doubt your sanity sometimes. Isn't there an unwritten rule somewhere that says something about thou shalt not date thy little brother's best friend? If you and Hermione ever break up, she's still going to be around here, and that will just be weird for both of you. I honestly don't see the pair of you getting married, so what do you plan to do in that case? And you do realize that if you break up with her, you're going to have Ron, Harry and Braeden to deal with? After seeing what Ron and Braeden did to that Death Eater yesterday, I have to wonder if you're not better off just to stay with Hermione forever so that doesn't happen to you.  
Speaking of the Death Eaters, what do you think of that attack yesterday? Or well, the one we experienced, and then the one at the Al- wait. I'm not supposed to know that, so I can't say anything. What can I say, Tonks has a big mouth. She has got to be just about the coolest person I have ever met. When she ran over in the fight yesterday disguised as one of us, I seriously thought I'd gone nutters. She's named her Weasley twin form Henry, since that's right in the alphabet after George. I think it would be seriously cool to be a metamorphmagus. Could you imagine the trouble we could get into? It would be seriously insane! We wouldn't have need for an invisibility cloak, we could just stroll the corridors looking like Trelawney. No one would ever know the difference because Trelawney never comes out of her tower, so we wouldn't run the risk of running into the real one. Even if we did, we could say her inner eye should have told her she has a twin sister. She'd eat it up! We'd never have detention again! Of course, with you snogging one of the Gryffindor prefects, we very well may not have detention anymore. Which would mean that we won't break Tonks's record. It's really awesome to finally get to meet the infamous Tonks. Is that why you're with Hermione anyway? To get the prefects off of our backs? Smart plan, Gred. I simply can't believe what happened to the family though. At least the baby lived, and I agree with everyone else in the thought that Professor Lupin will be an excellent father.  
In the following year, I hope our joke shop will get off of the ground. The show we did in Hogsmeade was absolutely fantastic, and business has been booming as a mail order business since then. Of course, I suppose you already know this. Continued success in our business would be great for the upcoming year, along with the ability to go through with that plan we discussed. That'd make Angelina see the error of her ways. As a more immediate wish, Charlie needs to wake his big arse up. We've got products to test on him! I hope that all of us make it through the next year, relatively safely. I'll trade the occasional minor injury on all of our parts to keep everyone mostly healthy and alive. Alive more than even mostly healthy I think. And I believe this is all for this year.  
Until next year,  
George.  
  
P.S. I think Ron's still waiting on that case of gas he asked for several years back.  
  
%%%%%  
  
Bill,  
I can't believe mum's making us write these bloody letters. I'm almost 16 years old and I'm being forced to do something I had to do when I was FOUR! I'd almost consider this an insult to my intelligence. If Fred and George or Charlie if he ever wakes up read this, they'll say something about if you had any intelligence to insult. I hope Charlie wakes up. Mum'll go nutters if something more serious happens to him. Actually, I don't think any of the family would take it well. I'm not worried yet though. Dumbledore seems to think he'll come around; he's just not entirely sure when. And Dumbledore is the best wizard of the day, so I trust his opinion.  
You know, I loved everyone's reactions when mum announced these letters. Ginny stomped up the stairs muttering something about how she couldn't very well write her letters to Harry still now that he's my best mate. Fred and George just laughed evilly. But when isn't that their reaction to anything? Tonks and Sirius exchanged looks, a high five and then tore out of the room. I think they were finally happy to get away from Professor Lupin. Harry and Hermione looked a bit confused, and Professor Lupin looked as flustered as he's looked all day. I think this becoming a father thing, with only a few days to prepare, has gotten him a bit more than simply flustered. Of course, if I lived with the likes of Sirius and Tonks, and was told I had to bring up a child in that house, I'd be more than flustered too. I can't believe the three of them share a flat. I bet that is one very interesting house. Well, I bet it's interesting when Sirius is there. Evidently he could only stay for short periods of time before this, what, with being wanted by the ministry and all. Now that they've got Pettigrew, he's a free man, so he'll be able to do as he pleases I suppose. So does that mean Harry gets to live with Sirius next summer? Wow! I think I'll go visit Harry rather than have him come visit me. Harry's the luckiest guy on earth! Well. Okay, no not really. He deserves to have the coolest place to live and the best looking girl in the year, because he also has a nutter of a wizard on his arse that would rather kill him than just about anything. His parents are dead, and he's.. yeah, he's not the luckiest guy on earth. But I'm extremely lucky to have him as a friend. And I'm lucky to have Hermione too. Even if she is a bossy know it all. I don't know what I would do without either of them. Before it was hard. I was simply Ron, little brother to the coolest head boy since James Potter, the best Quidditch seeker until Harry himself, the most infamous pranksters since the marauders themselves, and, well, Percy. Then I was the boy who lived's and the girl who hasn't not been able to do any spell put in front of her, and she's muggle-born, I was their best friend. But now I'm a prefect with Harry and Hermione, and I play Quidditch on the same team that you and Charlie played on, and that Harry, Fred and George play on, and it's sort of made me realize something. That maybe my place in this world is to be the little brother and the best friend. Maybe I'm not supposed to have the spotlight. I'm not saying it would be nice occasionally, but I am saying that you can't be successful without a support system. So maybe I'm here to be that support system for my friends and siblings. I suppose only time shall tell.  
I really would like a Quidditch cup, and maybe a victory in the inter- school league also. Of course, with the way those Durmstrangers play, I have a sneaky suspicion we'll be on the loosing end of that league. I am excited to play Beauxbatons. Braeden is a skillful keeper, but I honestly don't think he's any match for our chasers. But we will be playing somewhere other than Hogwarts for the first time ever. Hopefully that won't make the girls nervous. I just wish Malfoy would be on the receiving end of a nasty curse so I would get to play. I could always write a letter to Lucius saying I'd seen him "fraternizing with a mudblood" and sign it as that pig Parkinson. That would probably put him on the receiving end of a very nasty curse indeed. As long as Lucius didn't use the Cruciatus on him or anything. And he couldn't, that's illegal. From what Harry has said, and the way he wakes up screaming some nights, I'd have to say that I don't think I'd wish that curse on even my worst enemy. I think this is all for now, other than to throw in one last request. I would like all of my friends and family to make it through the next year safely.  
  
Ron  
  
%%%%%  
  
A Letter to Anyone Who Can Help Me,  
I am not ready to be a father. I don't know what I was thinking when I agreed to adopt my daughter. I honestly don't think I can do this. I've never changed a nappy before in my life. And a daughter? I mean really. They don't come able to fix their hair. I know nothing about dresses or dolls or tea parties! So she'll be living in a house with Tonks. Tonks can be a female influence, right? I have to wonder. Tonks should be good at playing dress-up at least. I actually slightly scared at what Tonks could teach my daughter. That still sounds really weird to say. My daughter. I wonder if she'll call me Daddy, or if she'll be able to remember her real father. She's barely two, so I don't know. Especially since she did take a rather nasty bump on her head. They also think she may have broken her lower back, and both of her ankles are broken, as well as her lower leg on one leg, from where the Death Eater swung her. As far as we can tell, she and her siblings were killed, or attempted to be killed to try to talk her parents, and most specifically her father into becoming Death Eaters. We found the beginnings of letters to the Death Eaters in her father's wastebasket next to his desk. Also, the Dark Mark above their house was a rather large tip-off.  
The state of our flat is deplorable, and it will only get worse now that Sirius is most certainly free. He and Tonks have to be the biggest slobs in all of England, if not the world. I don't know that I can take a rather injured baby into that mess. We're all considering Bill and Bella's offer to move in with them. They are newly weds and everything, so I feel we should give them some space, but at the same time, Sloane would be much safer living in a house with two Aurors and one of the best curse breakers Gringotts ever saw. I'm still trying to get used to A. having a daughter, and B. having to think for and of someone besides myself, and well, I guess Sirius and James on that rare occasion when we were back at Hogwarts. Arabella can be a female influence on Sloane, can't she? And if all else fails, I can always take Sloane to see Hermione and Ginny at the Burrow during the summers, right? If I ever tell Sirius about this particular worry, he'll just suggest that I find a woman. That's not necessarily a bad option, but being a werewolf bachelor with a possibly permanently handicapped daughter? I simply don't think that will go over too well with most of the female population. So I suppose it's just me and Sloane from here on out. And as much as that scares me right now, when I look to the future, it doesn't bother me too much at all.  
In the next year, I hope to get the hang of this father thing. It will probably be interesting. I want to be the best father I can be to Sloane, even though she will probably never have a mother or siblings. I hope we all make it through the next year, especially the younger ones. I hope some of the weight is lifted from Harry's shoulders, and he is able to enjoy life as a normal kid at least for a little while. I hope we can make a fast and efficient job of disposing this world of Voldemort and his regime. Please help.  
Remus J. Lupin  
  
%%%%%  
  
George,  
How are you today dear brother? I, honestly, am a bit shaken up after the events that transpired yesterday. Mum says she doesn't read these. I bet she does. I also bet that everyone has written something along the lines of "what happened yesterday was bad. I'm glad Professor Lupin is baby Sloane's father. I really hope Charlie wakes up." Well, as much as I agree with all of that, especially the Charlie waking up bit, but that probably gets boring to read time after time. I think, therefore, I shall make a list of 50 things I want to accomplish by the time I'm 50.  
  
Get thoroughly shagged. Be the co-owner of a joke shop that puts Zonko's out of business. Not that I have anything against Niamh Zonkovich. Beat Ron in wizard's chess without the aid of the entire population of Gryffindor Tower. Break Tonks's detention record. Get married Have a child. Train said child to cause more trouble than I ever dreamed of. Break that git Malfoy's nose. Play professional Quidditch Beat Durmstrang in Quidditch. Get a piercing like Bill's Do that sky diving thing Bill was talking about. Sit down and have a very serious discussion with Jo Granger on why we don't name children Jaquenetta. People like me make fun of them. Leave a Mark on Hogwarts as big as the one the Marauder's left. Graduate Win the Quidditch cup one last time. Replace Dad's flying car. Become an Animagus Get Professor Snape to award Gryffindor points Travel the world. Most specifically, I want to go back to Egypt, and then to Australia, and maybe the United States and Spain. Learn to speak another language. Pig Latin does not count. Fling myself from the Astronomy tower. Remember to cushion ground underneath first. Have Colin Creevey standing by with camera to record spectators' faces. Make people smile. Feed Keiran Malfoy to the Giant Squid. Learn to play an instrument. Not the bagpipes. Chicks don't dig the bagpipes. Hit a bludger at Angelina for dumping my brother. Tell my family and friends that I love them Hit a bludger at George for this mess with Katie. Hit a bludger at Ron to laugh. Start a flying school for people like Hermione who will never learn to fly at Hogwarts. Everyone should know how to fly. Make enough money to buy mum and dad a bigger house. Wear leather pants. I'd be dead sexy. Make friends with an honest to goodness muggle that isn't one of Hermione's parents. Pull a prank on the two remaining marauders. Own a Firebolt Meet the old lady that lives in that big palace in London. What's her name? The Queen. Learn to apparate legally. Get more N.E.W.T.S. than Percy just so I can rub it in his face. Aid in getting rid of Voldemort. Find mine and George's successors in Gryffindor Charm Bill's freckles to play dot-to-dot with themselves. Maybe Ron's too. With bright green and purple lines going between the dots. Learn how to resist Veritaserum Charm Lee's dreadlocks to make him look like Medusa. And make them hiss at people. Fly without a broom. Or a carpet, or those muggle contraptions. Make a difference in someone's life. Help the Chudley Cannon's win the league Figure out exactly why I want to play for the worst team in the league. Hit a bludger at Oliver just because I can. Laugh. Never get boring.  
  
So there you have it. The 50 things I will do before I'm 50.  
  
Always  
Fred  
  
%%%%%  
  
Mum and Dad,  
Mrs. Weasley said we had to write these letters, and I don't know who to write mine to, so I chose you. There are a very few things I want for the upcoming year. I want a Quidditch cup for Gryffindor, and possibly for Hogwarts. I want Lord Voldemort gone, permanently. I don't want anyone else to die. The more I ask for, the less likely I am to get any of it, and since those three things are rather large, I will refrain from asking for anything else. I'll be the happiest person in the world if those three things were to happen.  
  
Love  
Harry  
  
P.S. Getting to live with Sirius in the summer wouldn't be bad either, but I'd rather have the other three things first.  
  
*****  
  
Molly Weasley leaned back in her chair and rifled through the stack of parchment in her hand. She saw a roll and a half taken by Hermione's small, neat, concise print. Bill's angular cursive took up as much parchment as Hermione's. She noticed Remus's precise, yet hurried print, and a particularly small scrap taken up by Tonks's childish scribble. One of the twins, for their writing was virtually indistinguishable, had a list rather than a letter, while Ginny's bubbly, girlish cursive took up the better part of a parchment roll. Arabella's neat print filled a letter signed with Audra's barely formed signature. She had her D and her last A backwards. The other twin's hurriedly scratched out letter was about the same length as the parchment covered with Ron's messy scrawl. Harry's shaky print filled the final, and one of the shortest letters.  
Molly didn't bother reading any of the letters, but rose and headed off to the kitchen where she tucked them all away for safekeeping. 


	32. Chapter 32

The shortest chapter yet.  
  
Also one of my favorites.  
  
My reviewers rock.  
  
As does Nat.  
  
Please review.  
  
They still aren't mine. Well, Astrid is and that's a bit of a consolation. Not really. Most of it belongs to JKR. Part belongs to Bob Dylan and part I think belongs to Mary Frye, although I've heard it credited to many sources.  
  
That being said.  
  
*****  
  
Dear Finley,  
I'm sorry about that letter I wrote yesterday. Please know that I wrote it because I thought I could protect you from the horror that is my father. Obviously I couldn't. I simply hope you never had the chance to read that letter. Judging by the wax on the paper, you didn't. I don't know how I could manage knowing the last thing you ever heard from me was the pile of rubbish I wrote. Of course "watch out for the knicker-eating kneazles" isn't exactly the most romantic thing either, but that joke always did make you laugh. I simply with I had been able to warn you, or a least been there for you. At least you died standing up for what you believe. From what I've heard, you gave your captors hell before they had a chance to do anything to you. For that, Finley, I'll be eternally proud of you.  
I don't know if you knew, but little Sloane lived through the attack. Greg takes after his father in the brains department and Goyle Sr. definitely botched up his end of things. The Ministry of Magic left Sloane's fate in Dumbledore's hands. Mum wanted to adopt her. I don't think she's ever really recovered from losing Barrett. Lucius ranted for a while about your parents and then Crucio'd mum for thinking about adopting Sloane. Dumbledore found a suitable family for her though. Well, a suitable father that is. You'll at least, find him suitable. I have to question Dumbledore's sanity though. Caroline Sloane Alexander is now Sloane Alexandra Lupin. Yes, your favorite DADA professor is now your baby sister's guardian. As long as he doesn't bite her, she should be okay. Well, he should probably refrain from exposing her to the Weasleys too. She is a pureblooded witch and destined to be in Slytherin after all. Maybe she'll give them hell for us.  
In closing, I'd like to say thank you. Thank you for simply being you and being the light in the dreary Slytherin dungeon. I'm thankful for the all-too-short time I've had to get to know you. I will never forget you.  
Love Always  
Draco  
  
The prince of Slytherin leaned back in his desk chair. He held the parchment up in front of him. Tucking a stray piece of silverfish hair behind his ear, he skimmed over the still-drying words he had written.  
  
"Draco are you ready?" an impatient voice asked from the doorway. Draco spun hastily to shoot an icy glare a its owner.  
  
"Mum says it's time to go," Astrid continued. Draco ran his hands through his silky hair. He hadn't put any gel in it for that day. Finley vastly preferred it without. He silently cursed himself for not wearing it without gel more for her.  
  
"Fudge has sent along a piece he'd like you to read during the service," Astrid plowed through her messages when Draco didn't respond to her.  
  
"What piece?" Draco finally asked. He carefully folded his letter and slid it into the pocket of his pristine black robes.  
  
"The lyrics to a song by an American Squib," Astrid replied. Draco shook his head, dropping his forehead into his left palm.  
  
"You don't want to do it?" Astrid guessed. She tentatively took a few steps towards Draco.  
  
"What do you think?" Draco asked. "My girlfriend is DEAD!" He roared the last word. "Of course I don't want to read."  
  
"Of course you don't," Astrid echoed softly. Draco took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes, shaking his hair out of his face in one fluid motion.  
  
"You look like you could use a hug," Astrid boldly ventured. Draco stood and glared down at his sister.  
  
"Yeah," he finally said. "I think I could." Astrid closed the distance between them and looped her arms around her brother's waist. She rested her head on his chest and tried to control her fearful trembling. He brushed his hand lightly over her pale hair before letting it land on her back. He patted her back twice. She took this action as a sign to let go of him. She stepped back from him. Identical silver-grey eyes met.  
  
"Feel better?" she asked. Even her bold confidence couldn't hide the nervous tremble in her voice.  
  
"Yes," he said, not cracking a smile or even so much as a smirk. "But just because I let you hug me doesn't mean things in public are going to change."  
  
"Why would they?" Astrid asked, allowing an air of cold indifference to overtake her formerly warm demeanor. She flashed a carbon copy of his own smirk up at him.  
  
"Hey kid, that's not funny," he scolded, almost cracking a smile for the first time since his mother had given him the news about Finley.  
  
"Miss Astrid, Master Draco, Mistress Narcissa is telling me she is needing you at the carriage," Nolly, the house-elf, said. Draco turned to glare at the little creature. Nolly quickly ran form the room. Draco stepped in front of his mirror.  
  
"Draco Malfoy, you're a sexy beast" the mirror purred. Draco smoothed his tailored, midnight black linen robes. He picked up his black dragon-hide cloak from the back of his desk chair and spun it around his shoulders. He slid the ornate silver clasp together to form a filigreed DCM at the base of his throat.  
  
"Ready?" he asked Astrid. She nodded at him. He stepped towards her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. They both closed their eyes and a moment later, announced by a pair of soft pops, the pair arrived at the carriage. Astrid hurried to climb into the carriage. Draco stopped to run his hands over the broad back of one of the Abraxan pulling the carriage.  
  
"Draco," Lucius called form inside the carriage. Draco's hands dropped sharply from the horse. He quickly clambered into the carriage and dropped into the seat next to Emma. Astrid sat on the other side of Emma, with Lucius and Narcissa facing them. Keiran sat between Narcissa and Lucius, glaring alternately at Astrid and Emma.  
  
"Draco," Lucius said as the team of Abraxan took flight.  
  
"Father," Draco replied.  
  
"At the event we are about to attend, you are not to engage in any sort of behavior that would make you appear weak or even give the impression that you care," Lucius commanded.  
  
"Father, I believe it would look more realistic if he did show emotion," Keiran began. "He was, after all, with the stain on the pureblood name."  
  
"True, very true," Lucius murmured. Draco clenched his hands into fists.  
  
"Keiran," he spat. He began to rise to his feet, fully intending to make his brother regret the day he was born.  
  
"Draco Cullen Malfoy, sit down this instant before you make the balance of the carriage shift and cause us all to tumble to the ground to our deaths!" Narcissa commanded. Draco sank tensely back down onto his seat.  
  
"At least then he'd be with his precious Finley," Keiran muttered. Holding out a hand to halt her older son, Narcissa cuffed the younger sharply on the back of his head. Keiran rubbed the spot and glared up at his mother.  
  
"Draco," Narcissa said, ignoring Keiran. She reached into her handbag and pulled out a scrap of parchment. She handed it across the carriage. "This is what you've been asked to read." Draco took the paper from his mother and stared at the words, trying to ignore the looks Keiran kept shooting him.  
  
*****  
  
Draco looked down at the scrap of paper in his hands. Cornelius Fudge was standing at a makeshift podium, rattling on about what a great asset to the wizarding world Finley had been. Draco tried to block out the Minister's words. What would Cornelius fudge know about the way Finley's blue-black hair sparkled in the firelight or the mischievous glint she got in her eyes when she thought of something particularly funny? The Minister's words would never capture the way she barely poked her tongue between her thing red lips when she worked on a particularly difficult Arithmancy problem. The Minister would mention the girl's Quidditch career, but he wouldn't be able to express the look of pure elation on her face after she had flung her first goal past that git Weasley.  
  
"That," thought Draco," was truly Finley." He let his eyes stray up to the dark mahogany casket just in front of the Minister's podium. The idea of Finley being caught up in a box for all of eternity made him feel slightly sick. A warmish breeze ruffled his hair and he knew that her free spirit indeed was free. He glanced around the small Alexander family cemetery. The cemetery was on the top of a hill. The view was unobstructed, mountains in all directions.  
  
"She'll be able to see the sun rise and set," Draco noted. A stately old willow tree stood guard next to the wrought iron gate at the entrance to the cemetery. Draco's eyes quickly traveled over the three fresh mounds of soil that were Max, Juliet and Reece's graves, and fell on the arrangement of crimson roses resting on the top of Finley's casket. The Minister droned on. Draco zoned out staring at the roses. Two sharp fingers digging into his though brought him back to reality. He glared down at Emma who had been elected to sit in the front row with him while Lucius, Narcissa and the twins hung near the back. Emma indicated ever so slightly to Fudge. Draco glanced up at the Minister just in time to see him nod slightly. Parchment gripped tightly in hand, Draco stood up and made his way to the now empty podium. He stepped behind it, looked out over the audience and cleared his throat. He was many of his housemates seated around with their parents. A few Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were sprinkled about with one lone Gryffindor seated in the back corner alongside a very prim older looking lady wearing a hat topped by a ridiculous stuffed vulture. He wondered what Neville Longbottom was doing at Finley's funeral before his eyes fell on the casket in front of him. He knew he couldn't stay emotionless if he looked at that damned box much longer, so he quickly looked up. His eyes locked with Astrid's. She nodded slightly. He cleared his throat again and began to read.  
  
"May he bless you and keep you always. May your wishes all come true. May you always do for others, and let others do for you. May you build a ladder to the stars and climb on every rung. May you stay forever young," Draco's voice trembled through the first verse. The Quidditch team with the addition of little Trevor Nott, who Finley used to tutor, began making their way down the aisle. Draco swallowed hard and his eyes fell back on Astrid. So there were two Gryffindors in the crowd. She held his gaze as he began the second verse from memory.  
  
"May you grow up to be righteous. May you grow up to be true," Draco's voice trembled over those two lines as well, but due to anger at whoever chose the stupid song more than nervousness. Only Astrid's steady gaze kept him on task.  
  
"May you always know the truth and see the lights surrounding you. May you always be courageous, stand upright and be strong. May you stay forever young," Each of the six boys linked a hand through the handles on either side of the casket. At once they lifted and began a slow procession towards a freshly dug grave between Juliet and little Reece. Draco's voice strengthened.  
  
"May your hands always be busy. May your feet always be swift. May you have a strong foundation when the winds of changes shift." Draco was on the verge of yelling. Every eye in the place was riveted on him while he remained in a staring contest with his little sister.  
  
"May your heart always be joyful. May your song always be sung. May you stay forever young. Forever young, forever young. May you stay," Draco paused for a moment.  
  
"FOREVER YOUNG!" the final words rose from the throat of every teenager gathered as a sharp cry, puncturing the crisp winter air. Draco saw a single tear slip down Astrid's check and was thankful that one of them was able to cry. Draco stepped down from the podium and headed over to the casket. The crowd followed. Draco placed his letter on the casket. Casey Warrington caught his eye and smirked at him. Draco immediately headed off to his family's waiting carriage.  
  
*****  
  
"I'm proud of you son, you didn't seem much like you cared," Lucius said, clapping Draco on his shoulder. Draco silently wondered why Emma had traded seats with Lucius.  
  
"He probably didn't," Draco heard Keiran mutter. Neither Lucius nor Narcissa heard him. "He was probably just with her because she was a good shag." Balance be damned, Draco dived across the carriage. Wordlessly he smashed his fist into Keiran's jaw. The boy's mouth hinged to the left. Keiran looked up at Draco, blue eyes wide with surprise and fear. Draco drew his fist back a second time.  
  
"Never let me her you speak of her that way again," he hissed. He tried to punch Keiran again but Lucius's vice like grip on his elbow stopped him and dragged him back into his seat.  
  
"Take the traitor and go home before you get us all killed. I'm sick of looking at both of you," Lucius hissed. Draco grabbed the back of Astrid's cloak and with a soft pop they were gone.  
  
*Pop*  
  
Draco let go of his sister as soon as the pair landed in his bedroom. He took the three steps to the nearest wall. His left fist, meant for Keiran, instead crashed into the cold grey stone of the wall. He swung again. His fist met the wall with a satisfying crack. He felt the skin across his knuckles begin to split. One more hit and the skin ripped completely. Blood splattered down his robes and ran down the wall. He punched the wall twice more before the pain in his hand became too much. Instead, he drew his foot back and cracked it into the wall several times in quick succession.  
  
Astrid sat huddled on the edge of Draco's bed and watched as his grief, sadness, frustration and whatever else poured out in one ball of anger. He crammed his foot into the wall twice more before turning and flinging himself face down on his bed. Great hiccupping gulps of air hitched in his throat, but his eyes remained dry. Blood poured from four gashes on the back of his hand. Astrid reached over and placed her hand lightly on his shoulder. She took a deep breath before she began to speak.  
  
"ABIGAIL, LEAVE US!" Lucius roared, storming into Draco's room before Astrid had a chance to speak. Astrid scurried out of the room around her father as Draco sprang to his feet from the bed to face his father. Astrid shut the door silently behind her and crouched next to a statue just to the left of the door.  
  
"Draco," Lucius said, cold and menacingly. "Explain yourself."  
  
"Keiran made a comment about me only being with Finley because she was a good shag," Draco said, never breaking eye contact with his father.  
  
"That is no reason to break his jaw," Lucius spat. The snake-topped cane lashed out and struck Draco in the left side of his head. The fangs of the snake caught Draco's left eyebrow and left a small crescent shaped cut. Draco's head snapped sharply right. Blood trickling in his eye, Draco turned back to his father. Lucius swung the cane twice more. The first hit caught Draco's right shoulder and the second hit struck Draco directly in his stomach. He clasped both hands to his stomach and breathed deeply to attempt to regain the air that had just been knocked out of him.  
  
"Now never let me see you attack your brother like that again," Lucius said. Draco looked up at his father through a curtain of silvery hair. "Do you understand me?" Draco nodded.  
  
"ANSWER ME WHEN I SPEAK TO YOU!" Lucius roared. He swung the cane one last time. The blow took Draco's left side. Draco gasped for air and tried to blink the blood from his eye.  
  
"Yes," he said, in a voice barely above a whisper. Lucius turned on his heel and marched smartly out of Draco's room. As soon as the door clicked shut behind his father, Draco collapsed onto his bed. He lay on his right shoulder and pulled his knees towards his stomach.  
  
Astrid, still crouched in the hall, watched her father storm by. She carefully rose from her hiding spot and approached the door to Draco's room. She knocked softly twice and when he didn't respond, she opened the door just a crack. Looking through, she could see her brother lying on his bed, staring at the wall. She walked quickly over to his bed and sank onto the dark green comforter.  
  
"Are you okay?" she asked.  
  
"Why did she have to die and why do they have to be such fucking pricks?" Draco asked. He sounded like he was on the verge of screaming.  
  
"Draco," he turned his head to look at her. She wiped the blood away from his eye and began to recite a poem she had learned during her last year at Muggle school. "Do not stand at my grave and weep. I am not there; I do not sleep. I am the thousand winds that blow. I am the diamond glints on snow. I am the sun on ripened grain. I am the gentle autumn rain. When you waken in the morning hush, I am the swift uplifting rush. Of gentle birds in circling flight. I am the soft star that shines at night. Do not stand at my grave and cry. I am not there, I did not die." 


	33. Chapter 33

JKR Still owns them. Oh well. There is a bit from Buffy in there too.  
  
Nat is awesome.  
  
I like reviews  
  
I love all of my reviewers. Please keep it up you guys.  
  
That being said  
  
*****  
  
"HAPPY CHRISTMAS HAPPY CHRISTMAS HAPPY CHRISTMAS HAPPY CHRISTMAS HAPPY CHRISTMAS!" a Weasley twin screeched, tearing down the stairs in the Burrow as fast as he could from Ron's top floor room.  
  
"HAPPY CHRISTMAS HAPPY CHRISTMAS HAPPY CHRISTMAS HAPPY CHRISTMAS HAPPY CHRISTMAS!" the other one shrieked as he thundered down the stairs after his brother. Harry sat up rather ungracefully in his bed.  
  
"Bloody hell," he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. He clumsily reached over for his glasses. His hand closed around something solid.  
  
"They do this every year," Ron provided from the bed next to Harry's. "If you can go back to sleep quickly and you're lucky, you can get 15 more minutes of sleep. And if you're trying to correct your vision, I hardly think putting my toes on your face is going to help." Harry quickly let go of his best friends foot.  
  
"What time is it?" Braeden asked form the other side of the room.  
  
"If I know the twins, it's before the arse crack of dawn. Six if we're lucky." Braeden finally got his watch to light up.  
  
"5:27," he mumbled, falling backwards onto his pillow with a loud thud.  
  
"HAPPY CHRISTMAS!" a third voice squealed.  
  
"Oh no!" Harry mumbled. "They've got Audra in on it too!"  
  
"We'll never get to go back to sleep," Ron moaned.  
  
"You can't tell me your mum will let them wake everyone in the house up," Braeden said from in between his pillows. He had pressed his face between them to try to drown out the twins' shrieks from downstairs.  
  
"She's not been able to stop them yet," Ron replied. "When we were younger, all they had to do was wake up me and then later, Ginny. Once she or I was awake, that was the end, because mum would get up, and she'd insist on waking everyone else up. Looks as though they're using the same principle only with little Audra instead of me or Ginny. I just don't see me or Ginny being nearly as effective as Audra seems to be. Something about being 14 and 15 and not one of the twins just makes it wrong for us to run through the house squealing at Christmas. I for one would like to get another few hours of sleep, but I suppose."  
  
"RON!" Harry cried. "BREATHE!" Ron stopped rambling and glared at his friend. A sharp knock on the door interrupted anything Ron had been planning to say.  
  
"WAKE UP! IT'S CHRISTMAS!" a voice from in the hall cried.  
  
"Yes, we've got to get up," Ron said. He registered the voice as Bill's. "Now that Bill is awake, none of us will be able to go back to sleep." The door flew open.  
  
"INCOMING!" the oldest Weasley son shouted. He dived towards Harry and Ron's beds, red hair flowing behind him. He landed horizontally on top of Harry and Ron.  
  
"Now get up, it's present time!" Bill screeched. He landed a knee in Ron's side and both elbows in Harry's spine.  
  
"OOOOWWWWWWW!" Ron howled. Harry gasped and tried to regain his breath.  
  
"Get up you two!" Bill insisted. He rolled off his little brother and the brother's best friend. "This would be much easier if Charlie were awake."  
  
"We'd be much deader if Charlie were awake," Ron muttered.  
  
"I don't think deader is a word, Ron," Braeden said from his spot in the corner.  
  
"Let the lard arse jump on you and then tell me deader is not a word," Ron muttered, casting a glare towards Braeden that Braeden couldn't see. Wordlessly, Bill jumped to his feet and dived towards Braeden. Braeden saw the shadowy figure of the oldest Weasley. Before Bill could land on Braeden, Braeden rolled towards Harry and Ron. Bill crashed into the wall with a terrific thud.  
  
"FRED OR GEORGE!" came Molly Weasley's shriek form downstairs.  
  
"What mum?" came the shout of one of the twins.  
  
"We're in here!" came the other one.  
  
"GET THEM MUM!" Ginny cried.  
  
"What was that from Ron's room then?" Molly asked.  
  
"BILL!" chorused Ron, Harry and Braeden.  
  
"WILLIAM GRIFFITH WEASLEY!" Molly cried.  
  
"PRESENT TIME!" Bill shouted. He jumped to his feet and scrambled out of the room. The three teenage boys could hear him thundering down the stairs.  
  
"Does he always act like this?" Braeden asked.  
  
"Well," Ron considered the question for a moment. "Yes."  
  
"COME ON!" Bill shouted back towards the stairs.  
  
"I think we should probably go," Harry said. He stumbled to his feet. Braeden stood up next to Harry, but Ron groaned from between his pillows.  
  
"Do we have to?" he asked.  
  
"RON! Get with it man! PRESENTS!" Harry cried.  
  
"And you've been bitten by the same bug that has gotten into everyone else in this house," Ron muttered.  
  
"You had the same problem on Saturday before the Yule Ball," Harry said.  
  
"I could just carry him," Braeden said.  
  
"I've got a better idea," Harry said. He muttered a spell under his breath and caught the stick that flew towards him as a result.  
  
"That's mine," Braeden said, pointing at the wand in Harry's hand. Harry shrugged, handed the wand to Braeden, and held his hand out to Ron.  
  
"Accio Ron!" Harry said. Before Ron even began rising out of the bed, Harry turned and sprinted from the room.  
  
"Get out of the way Braeden!" Harry cried as he ran past. Braeden ducked just in time for Ron to fly through the doorway above him. Harry sprinted down the stairs with Ron flying right on his heels.  
  
"I promise I'll walk!" Ron cried from his spot in the air behind Harry.  
  
"RIGHT!" Harry said. Braeden was a few steps behind Ron. Harry turned the corner and took off down the second flight of stairs. He could hear voices in the Living Room drawing closer.  
  
"Really Harry, this is quite excessive," Ron muttered.  
  
"You're not the one who is taking a sprint five seconds after being woken up way to early," Harry said. He tore around the corner into the living room where he ducked down, stopping dead in his tracks. Ron flew over his head and landed sprawled across the couch, right in the laps of Ginny, Arabella, Hermione and Natalia.  
  
"Well good morning to you too, Ron," Ginny laughed.  
  
"HAPPY CHRISTMAS!" Bill exclaimed. He danced into the room, arms full of presents; red Santa hat perched on equally red hair. His hair was loose around his shoulders; marking the first time many had seen him without it tied back. He tucked a stray strand behind his ear.  
  
"More presents!" Fred cried. He followed Bill into the room; a green elf hat perched in his red hair.  
  
"AND MORE!" George cried. He had a tea cozy pulled tightly over his red hair. Hermione, Ron and Harry laughed when they saw the younger twin.  
  
"GOODY!" Audra squeaked. She jumped up at Bill and tried to remove a particularly large present from the top of the pile in his hands.  
  
"Whoa little Figg," Bill said. He tried to step in front of his niece.  
  
"Audra, come here," Aberdeen commanded.  
  
"But I want to help distribute the presents," Audra cried.  
  
"Audra, honey, I think I can handle this," Bill replied. He placed his presents in the floor and motioned for Fred and George to do the same. The twins immediately headed back towards the kitchen for more presents. Bill pulled his wand out of the pocket of his pajama pants and pointed it at the pile of presents. Fred and then George ducked under Bill's arms and added the remaining presents to the pile. Bill pointed his wand at the pile. He muttered a few words of Latin and immediately the presents started flying around the room. The largest almost knocked little Audra Figg off of her feet.  
  
"William Weasley, what have I told you about using that charm to distribute presents?" Mrs. Weasley asked from her seat next to Mr. Weasley on the love seat.  
  
"Sorry mum," Bill said sheepishly. He picked up his own pile of presents and took a seat at his wife's feet. Fred sat next to him in front of Hermione, while Braeden took the seat in front of Ginny. Natalia looked particularly distraught when she realized Charlie was not there to sit at her feet.  
  
"Don't worry Natalia," George said. "Ron and I will be your foot warmers." He grabbed Ron's hand and pulled him off of the girls on the couch. The two curled up at Natalia's feet.  
  
"So who is first?" Mrs. Weasley asked, looking around the room at the gathered crowd.  
  
"We gotta take turns?" Gus asked, sounding slightly dismayed. "No offense Mrs. Weasley, but there are like 40 people here. I think this is going to take all morning."  
  
"Augustus Ray Figg!" his father scolded. Gus looked over at his father and shrugged.  
  
"I want to go first!" Audra squealed, jumping up and down behind her largest present.  
  
"Go for it Miss Audra," Molly said. "I believe we will go in order from youngest to oldest." Audra didn't need to be told twice. Little fingers sank into red wrapping paper. Quickly the box was void of all wrappings.  
  
"Hey Gus, toss me your wand!" Audra instructed. "I've got to get rid of this tape somehow!" Aberdeen reached over and pulled the offending object from the present. Audra ripped into the top of the box.  
  
"What is it?" Audra asked, peering into the box. A quick flick of bill's wand made the wrappings and the box disappear.  
  
"What is it?" Audra asked again. Looking at the offending piece of brown leather lying on the floor.  
  
"It's a saddle," Aberdeen replied.  
  
"Why do I need a saddle?" Audra asked, looking up at her father through innocent blue eyes.  
  
"For your new pony," Aberdeen replied.  
  
"Pony?" Audra asked, clapping her small hands twice. "You mean as in real live pony that I can ride on?"  
  
Yes sweetie, that's exactly what we mean," Deidre, Audra and Gus's mother replied. She reached over and ruffled her daughter's thick red curls. "Now open your presents from Gus, Aunt Arabella and Uncle Bill and Grandpa. Everyone is waiting on you."  
  
"I want to see my pony!" Audra demanded.  
  
"The rest of your presents," Deidre said, pointing to the pile at her daughter's feet.  
  
"Dee, maybe we should just take her, it is Christmas after all," Aberdeen suggested.  
  
"By all means, take her," Gus chimed in. "I'm next in this present business."  
  
"Come on miss Audra," We'll go for a quick visit to your pony," Aberdeen stood up and held his hands down to his daughter. She jumped into his arms with an ear-splitting shriek.  
  
"Deen, the floo is in the flower pot on the mantle," Mrs. Weasley said.  
  
"Thanks Molly," Aberdeen replied as he carried his daughter from the room.  
  
"My turn!" Gus exclaimed. He pulled out his wand and muttered a quick charm that divested his gifts of all of their wrappings.  
  
"Impressive, " Bill muttered.  
  
"Fast," said George.  
  
"Efficient," Fred agreed.  
  
"It's not quite a pony but Hogwarts; a History will do," Gus said, turning the book around and around in his hands.  
  
"She got a pony, you got a book. Gus I believe the term you're looking for is shafted," Fred stated simply.  
  
"It's a first edition," Gus replied, off-handedly. Only Bella's hands on Bill's shoulders and Fred's arms around Hermione's knees kept the pair of notorious bookworms from diving across the room and attacking poor Gus.  
  
"Thanks for the sweater Mrs. Weasley and I really like these charms books, Aunt Arabella." Gus pretended not to notice the stir his book caused. He quickly set himself to working through the pile of candies and books from his housemates.  
  
"Is it my turn then?" Ginny asked. Gus nodded mutely, mouth full of chocolate frog. Ginny ripped into her first present. A beautiful Gryffindor- red hooded sweater with a kangaroo pocket tumbled from the box.  
  
"Mum, this is fantastic!" Ginny cried as she tugged the sweater on over her head.  
  
"Arabella helped me pick out the pattern," Molly admitted.  
  
"Does this mean no more letters?" George asked Fred.  
  
"I believe it does," Fred replied.  
  
"It's the end of an era!" George gasped. Ginny ripped into her second present. The long thing box suggested jewelry of some sort. Sure enough, she pulled a small gold locket on the end of a golden braided chain from the box. She popped open the locket and stared at it's contents for a moment before leaning over and whispering something to Braeden that made him turn tomato red.  
  
"Thank you Braeden," came her only publicly audible reply. Arabella helped her fasten the gold heart around her slim throat. She tore into the next package.  
  
"Look at the handle, look at the handle!" Bill urged before she had even fully pulled the wrappings off.  
  
"Thanks Bill and Bella," Ginny said, finally turning the beaters bat over and over in her hands.  
  
"No dear, that was all your brother. You'll find your gift from me a little closer to the bottom of the pile," Bella said  
  
"Did you look at the handle?" Bill asked. Bella cuffed him sharply on the back of his head. Ginny looked down at the handle of the bat. She noticed a tiny "Virginia Eirene Weasley," engraved in the bat's surface.  
  
"Wow, it says my name!" Ginny laughed.  
  
"Yes," Bill said, childish grin plastered on his face.  
  
"Thanks Bill!" Ginny said. She placed the bat on the couch next to her leg. "If any of you boys step out of line, I'm using it on your head." She reached for her next present. Under the wrapping lay a plush blue monkey with neon green ears and blaze orange tummy.  
  
"Jae," Ginny explained, noticing the quizzical looks from everyone in the room. "I told her I wanted an ugly stuffed monkey. It looks as though she came through."  
  
"Open mine next," Bella urged. She pointed at a small thin package lying near the bottom of the stack. Ginny pulled the package and stripped off it's wrapping.  
  
"Thanks Bella, but didn't anyone remember to tell you about my fear of journals?" Ginny asked. She looked from the blue, purple and green book in her hands to glare imploringly at her parents and her oldest brother.  
  
"They might have mentioned it," Bella said. "But this isn't just any old journal. It writes back!" Ginny released a shriek that was probably heard in France and threw the book into the middle of the floor, narrowly missing Braeden's head.  
  
"Go Hermione," she muttered. Wordlessly, Hermione tore into her first gift. It produced a slim-fitting plum-purple turtleneck sweater, courtesy of Mrs. Weasley.  
  
"It's absolutely fantastic," Hermione gushed as she peeled the wrapping from her second present. She produced a beater bat identical to Ginny's, only engraved with Hermione L. Granger, Gryffindor Prefect on the handle. The bat was wrapped with a scrap of parchment covered in writing. She quickly read the note.  
  
Hermione,  
The rest of your present isn't exactly tangible yet, but you will thank me later. Just remember that green=guilt and in the mean time use this on any troublemakers.  
  
Bill  
  
"Uh, thanks Bill, I think." Hermione said. Bill smiled evilly and released a demonic laugh for the benefit of the whole room.  
  
"William Weasley," Mrs. Weasley scolded.  
  
"Bill mum, Bill," Bill corrected. Hermione picked up her next present. Fittingly enough, she unwrapped a book. A quick scan of the title lead to her cracking Braeden on his shoulder with the book.  
  
"Beauxbatons: A History. Not funny, Braeden, but I still like it," she laughed. Harry and Ron both groaned.  
  
"Thanks man, now we get to hear useless fact about not only Hogwarts, but Beauxbatons too!" Harry cried. Braeden smiled sweetly over at him.  
  
"Will you open my present now?" Fred asked, looking up at his girlfriend.  
  
"Where is it?" Hermione asked, looking over at the pile of presents still next to her.  
  
"It's the square one," Fred said, pointing to a rather small perfectly square package resting near the bottom of the stack. Hermione pulled it out and pulled off the wrapping. She neatly opened the box and extracted a small snow globe. She looked inside for the miniature figures, but found none.  
  
"It's nice Fred, but I think you forgot something," Hermione said as she shook the small glass orb. Glittery snow fell on the solid white bottom.  
  
"Think of something and concentrate on it," Fred instructed. Hermione screwed her eyes tightly shut in concentration. "I'd advise you not to think of anything embarrassing," he quickly added. He looked over his shoulder at the globe in Hermione's hand.  
  
"Okay, now shake the snow globe and look at it." Hermione gave the glass ball a hard shake and looked at it. Right in the middle, tiny figures of herself and Harry and Ron walking arm in arm towards some unknown destination.  
  
"Fred, that's absolutely amazing!" Hermione said. She shook the globe again and a tiny Fred and Hermione lounging on the roof of Gryffindor tower took the place of Hermione, Ron and Harry. The tiny pieces of snow turned into miniature stars and moons and cascaded around the two little people.  
  
"Bella helped me," Fred admitted, turning as red as Ginny's sweater.  
  
"Thank you so much!" She leaned down and threw her arms around his neck, dropping a chaste kiss right above his right temple.  
  
"Can you hurry up?" Harry asked. He cast a joking glare at Hermione from his spot on the floor beside Braeden.  
  
"Shall I open the one from you next?" Hermione asked. She picked up a long, flat rectangular box from the pile.  
  
"Yes, and then I say we amend this rule so we're not here all day," Harry suggested.  
  
"How do you suggest we do that?" Mrs. Weasley asked.  
  
"Let's keep the order but only open one or two presents each. We can get to the others later on our own time," Harry provided.  
  
"Mum, that's a bloody brilliant plan," Fred said.  
  
"Agreed," Mrs. Weasley finally relented. She cast a glare around the room to silence the cheers that had erupted from the mouths of many gathered. Hermione peeled the paper off of the box from Harry. She extracted a beautiful Eagle quill from it.  
  
"Wow Harry, this is really nice," Hermione said, turning the quill over and over in her hands.  
  
"It goes with Astrid's present," Harry announced proudly. "I'll show you how to activate the charms later, but it is stored inside the journal and its charmed to never run out of ink."  
  
"That's really fantastic," Hermione said, slipping the quill back into its box. "And now it's your turn." Harry smiled quickly at his friend before turning back to his pile of presents. He picked up the largest of the lot and slowly picked the tape away from one edge.  
  
"Harry man, you can't do this again!" Ron insisted.  
  
"I can too!" Harry laughed. He carefully pulled the offending piece of tape away from the red snitch-patterned wrapping.  
  
"Harry James Potter!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
"Harry, please, before he has kittens," the ever sensible Hermione pleaded. On cue, little Alroy leapt into the room, attacking a particularly vicious scrap of wrapping paper.  
  
"I already do thank you very much," Ron said, pointing at the small black and white cat.  
  
"Ron, unless there is something you're not telling us, I don't believe you actually had the kittens," Hermione muttered. "And Harry, could you please expedite the process a bit?"  
  
"I could," Harry said, and he shrugged.  
  
"Now I see why he only wanted to open two presents," Fred muttered.  
  
"Harry, if you don't hurry yourself up, I'm going to charm all of your presents unwrapped and make them hide themselves all over the house so you have to look for them," Bill threatened.  
  
"Oh, all right," Harry finally muttered. He quickly ripped the paper from the package, producing an oddly shaped black leather bag.  
  
"What is it?" He asked, looking at the bag folded neatly in his lap.  
  
"Go on, unfold it," Hermione urged. "It's from both of us." She reached over and smacked Ron lightly in the back of his head. Harry straightened out the bag.  
  
"It's a broom carrying case with pockets for your servicing kit, guards, a snitch, a beater bat, and your uniform!" Ron finally exclaimed. Harry flattened the bag out completely. It was long and rectangular with a strap running from the top left corner to the bottom right. It had a large padded compartment for his broom, with smaller pockets attached to the outside for all of the equipment Ron had named.  
  
"Wow guys, this is absolutely fantastic!" Harry exclaimed.  
  
"You've got another present to open. You can drool over your broom bag later," Bill said. Harry absentmindedly reached for the next present in the pile and ripped the paper off of it, not paying attention to what he held in his hands.  
  
"What is it Harry?" Ron asked, when he realized his friend was paying absolutely no attention to anything besides the broom case. Harry glanced to the other present in his hands.  
  
"It's a beater bat, thanks Bill," he muttered.  
  
"Look at the handle," Bill instructed. Harry glanced at the handle of the bat.  
  
"Harry James Potter, nice Bill," he said.  
  
"Look closer, it does not say Harry James Potter," Bill said. Harry tore his eyes off for the bag to momentarily look at the bat. Only then did he realize that the bat was not the same as the bats Ginny and Hermione had. His bat was much older and had definitely seen heavy use in its day. He spun the bat around in his hands until he found a very small, very worn inscription in the handle. Li-y An- E-ns.  
  
"This was my mum's?" Harry asked quietly. Bill nodded solemnly.  
  
"She gave it to me when she graduated because Charlie had become our seeker and I thought maybe I wanted to be a beater." Harry looked back to the bat lying in his hands.  
  
"Wow, thanks Bill," He muttered. "I think this is the best Christmas present anyone has ever given me."  
  
"Would opening my presents now ruin the moment?" Ron asked quietly. Harry reached around Braeden and whacked Ron's shoulder with the Beater's bat.  
  
"I think you already did," Hermione scolded.  
  
"Go ahead, you great git," Harry said. Ron smiled at his friends.  
  
"Are the three of you always like this?" Bella asked. Hermione and Harry nodded while Ron shook his head "no." The twins, Ginny and Braeden threw their support to Hermione and Harry, while Angelina agreed with Ron.  
  
"I got one too!" Ron exclaimed. "Bill, you've got to be the most original person on the face of the planet!" He brandished his beater's bat threateningly at his oldest brother.  
  
"That, I am," Bill said, bowing gracefully.  
  
"HIS NAME IS MEGARA!" a shrill voice screeched from the kitchen as the sound of little feet tore up the hallway.  
  
"HIS name is Megara? Audra, I believe you're a bit confused there," Gus said, patting his little sister on her head as she jumped into his lap.  
  
"His name is Megara," a sheepish Aberdeen said, sinking into a seat on the floor next to his children. "So what have I missed?"  
  
"Bill Weasley is honestly the most original person I've ever met," Arabella laughed. The four teenagers picked up their matching beater bats and waved them at Aberdeen to illustrate Arabella's point. Aberdeen shrugged.  
  
"You married him."  
  
"Maroon!" Ron cried. He looked at the sweater in his hands. "Other than the color, it's a very lovely sweater mum." Fred and George cackled evilly, and Ron didn't notice the bewildered look on his mother's face. Fred and George laughed once more.  
  
"Finite Incantatem," Arabella muttered, flicking her wand at the sweater. The sweater quickly morphed from maroon to a deep heather grey.  
  
"MUM YOU'RE THE GREATEST!" Ron leapt from his seat, across the living room and into his mother's lap. He flung both arms around her neck and dropped a kiss directly on his forehead.  
  
"I love you too, ickle Ronnikins." Molly said, flashing a grin at the twins around her youngest son. The twins rolled with held in laughter.  
  
"My turn!" Braeden happily exclaimed. He picked up a thin package from the very bottom of his pile. Under the paper was a book similar to the one Ginny had tossed in the floor.  
  
"Good choice of a present to open, Braeden," Arabella said. "Now I can explain myself so maybe Ginny will reconsider my gift." Ginny looked warily at her sister-in-law out of the corner of her eye. Arabella ignored the younger girl and plowed on with her explanation. "Those journals, yes, are charmed to write back to whatever you write in them. However, it's not actually the journal writing back." Ginny looked slightly intrigued. "Ginny, what you write in yours will show up in your book and Braeden's. It works the same way for your book, Braeden." Arabella finished her explanation. Braeden reached over and grabbed Hermione's quill.  
  
"Grab your book Gin, let's try this," he instructed. Ron handed the book over his head to his sister. Braeden opened his book and quickly scribbled something with the quill. Ginny opened the front cover of her book and looked at the front page. She released a little squeak and took the quill from Braeden. She furiously scribbled a reply that made both her and Braeden blush bright red. Hermione leaned over Ginny's shoulder and glanced at the messages on the front pages of Ginny's book.  
  
Gin, I'm sick of this not knowing where we stand stuff. Can we just go ahead and make this official?  
  
Hermione gasped at the note and Ginny glared back at her friend.  
  
Yes  
  
"AWWW!" came Hermione's reply.  
  
"Shove it, Hermione," came Braeden and Ginny's statements.  
  
"Will these work from England to France?" Braeden asked as he scribbled another note and passed the quill back to Ginny.  
  
"That's actually why I made them," Arabella replied. "The twins wrote to me saying that the pair of you were killing Argus and asked if I could do anything about it." Ginny scribbled another note in her book and tossed the quill to Braeden.  
  
"Arabella, this is absolutely fantastic," Ginny said.  
  
"And I think we've lost him. Does this mean I get to go now?" Fred asked.  
  
"No," Angelina shot from across the room. "I do believe I'm younger than the pair of you."  
  
"And I'm younger than you anyway," George said. He elbowed his brother sharply in his ribs. Fred scrambled for Hermione's beater bat but she cracked his knuckles with it before he could grab it to use on his brother.  
  
"HARPIES TICKETS!" Angelina screeched. "GEORGE THIS IS FANTASTIC!" George smiled sheepishly at his ex-girlfriend. She calmed down a bit and looked at him with a sad, almost wistful expression on her face. He smiled again at her, and she reached for another of her presents. She pulled the wrapping from a box of chocolate frogs from her little sister.  
  
"My turn!" George said. He quickly pulled out his wand and pointed it at his presents. A few words of Latin later, and all of his presents were not only unwrapped, but out of their boxes and floating in front of his face one by one.  
  
"The rules were only two," Fred scolded his brother as George observed his presents floating by and thanked the giver of each. At Fred's comment, George flicked his wand at the bat from Bill and it started towards Fred. Fred grabbed his own bat shaped present from the pile and fended off the attacks from the floating bat.  
  
"Boys!" Mrs. Weasley scolded.  
  
*****  
  
"Emmy?" Astrid asked softly. She peeked into her younger sister's room through the door connecting the two girls rooms.  
  
"I'm awake," Emma replied. Astrid tore into the room and dived across Emma, landing on the other side of the bed. She pulled out her wand and began summoning her presents from the other room. One by one the packages zoomed through the door and landed neatly at the foot of the bed in a pile next to Emma's.  
  
"Happy Christmas," Astrid said.  
  
"To you too," Emma said. Astrid pulled the covers up to her nose and glanced over at her sister with a girlish laugh.  
  
"Should we start unwrapping those?" Astrid asked, pointing to the presents with the tip of her nose. Even in flannel pajamas, under several thick quilts, the manor was too cold for anything below the nose to be exposed to the air.  
  
"We should," Emma considered the option. "But it's warm here and it's cold there and I simply think the presents can wait on the house elves.  
  
"It still feels empty without someone lying here in between us wiggling her little tail off to get to the presents," Astrid said.  
  
"Yes," Emma agreed, but the rest of her sentence was cut off.  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" A tall blond- haired figure launched himself through the door and across the floor with two massive leaps. A yell escaped from his lips, growing louder each time one of his bare feet hit the cold stone floor. He dived across Emma and with a great flip, landed in the bed right between his little sisters. A neat stack of presents levitated itself through the door behind him and positioned itself right at the end of the bed between the first two.  
  
"It's damned cold out there," the boy muttered, shaking longish blonde hair out of his eyes. He rubbed his hands on the opposite arm, trying to return circulation to the bare limbs. He wore only a pair of green and black plaid flannel pajama pants.  
  
"Well Draco," Astrid said, quickly flinging back the covers. "If you would wear clothes and not run around the manor this early in the morning you probably wouldn't be cold. Draco adjusted his glasses on his nose and scrambled under the covers, glaring at his little sister as he did so. Astrid quickly pulled the covers back to her nose.  
  
"So are we going to get to presents?" Draco asked.  
  
"It's too cold out there still. We decided we could wait on the house elves to open the presents." Draco impatiently wiggled around for a moment.  
  
"Can't we open them now please?" he asked.  
  
"Look, you're acting much like the previous occupant of that spot," Astrid said, looking off to the left side of the bed, away from Draco.  
  
"Has Keiran already been in here?" Draco asked, playing dumb to the fact that his sister was talking about Barrett.  
  
"Since when have either of you ever come in here with us girls to open presents?" Emma asked.  
  
"Since, well," Draco considered the question for a moment. "Since this Christmas. Where is our darling little brother anyway?"  
  
"He's only your little brother," Emma corrected.  
  
"Okay, so where is our darling brother anyway?" Draco amended his statement. Astrid and Emma both shrugged, but all three heard the sound of footsteps and someone singing rather off key to the tune of "Jolly Old Saint Nicholas" out in the hall.  
  
"Evil Uncle Voldemort, pet your pretty snake. Torture all your followers, no matter what they say. Christmas Eve is coming soon, now you dear old man, kill some stupid muggles as many as you can!" Keiran sang.  
  
"Isn't he such a wonderful little person!" Draco muttered. Emma and Astrid both rolled their eyes.  
  
"Do we call him in here?" Emma asked.  
  
"No," Astrid and Draco both hissed. Keiran's voice grew louder as his song changed.  
  
"On the twelfth day of Christmas, my dark lord gave to me 12 Weasleys begging." Draco's arm came heavily across Astrid to keep her from leaping out of the bed and attacking their brother.  
  
"Don't. He knows more nasty stuff than either of us can imagine."  
  
"Eleven Aurors bleeding," Keiran continued with his song. "Ten mums a weeping, nine babies screaming, eight shrunken heads, seven puppies whining, six Gladium curses, five GRYFFINDORS!"  
  
"ASTRID!" Draco hissed, quite loudly. Astrid glared over at her older brother.  
  
"Four muggle heads, three mudbloods, two kittens and a voodoo doll of old DUMMY!" Keiran finished his song with an off-key warble of Dumbledore's not to great nickname. His footsteps stopped just outside the door. He paused for a moment before launching into another carol, most familiar as "Hark the Herald Angels Sing." This song, too, had been Keiran-ified.  
  
"Hark the death eaters sing, joyous from muggle killing. Death to old Dumbledore, Dark Mark in the sky once more! Joyful all ye pure bloods rise, as we stifle mudblood cries. With Lord Voldemort proclaim, reign of blood, death and pain. Hark the death eaters sing, glory to Voldemort, their king."  
  
"You know, I think they used the Gladium curse on her," Draco mumbled, looking down at the presents at the foot of the bed. Astrid reached over and touched her brother's forearm lightly. His eyes fluttered closed.  
  
"Mudbloods scream, are ya' list'ning!" Keiran launched into a fourth carol. "In the lane, blood is glistening. A beautiful sight, we're happy tonight, working for the good Lord Voldemort." Draco's eyes were still closed. Astrid jumped up and tore around the bed and towards the door before Draco or Emma could stop her. She burst through the door and jumped on Keiran just before he could start another carol. She fastened her slim hand around Keiran's throat, just under his jaw and pressed his head into the floor. He looked up at his twin sister, surprise in his blue eyes.  
  
"Never," she began. Keiran's fist came out of nowhere and caught Astrid in her left eye. She didn't loosen her grip on his neck. Keiran swung again, but Astrid ducked a bit and ground her knee into his inner thigh. Before she could inflict any more pain on her twin, she felt herself rising off the ground courtesy of a strong grip on the back of her pajamas. She noticed Keiran rising in a similar fashion and swung herself around to glare at her oldest brother. He had come from the room, pausing only to cast a few charms to make the twins a bit lighter and make the floor a bit warmer, and grabbed a twin in each hand. He had them up about 30 centimeters off of the floor, holding each by the back of their pajamas. He swung them so they faced each other.  
  
"Now. It's Christmas Day. Keiran. If I hear one more of those carols out of your mouth, I will personally see to it that. Well. I'll personally see that you get your little ass kicked." Keiran glared stonily at his older brother, but Draco couldn't take the boy seriously, as his pajama shirt had bunched up around his ears, making him look like an elf with an attitude problem.  
  
"What about the traitor?" Keiran croaked. Astrid's choking had caused his voice to somewhat disappear. Draco lowered Keiran to the ground.  
  
"I'll take care of her," Draco said, smirking at his little brother. He carefully lowered Keiran to the ground. "Now go." He kicked his little brother in his butt to emphasize his point. Keiran glared at Draco and started off down the hall. Astrid still dangled from the back of her pajamas in Draco's grasp. Draco looked to the remaining elf with the attitude problem and cracked a small smirk. Astrid glared at him. Draco carried her back into the room and tossed her back onto the bed. He climbed onto the bed next to her. While the pair had been in the hall, Emma had used Astrid's wand to start a fire in the fireplace, so the room was considerably warmer. Emma had even ventured out from under the covers.  
  
"So you're supposed to be taking care of me," Astrid said, smirking at Draco.  
  
"Okay. So you've obviously been hanging out with the Weasel a bit much, but your fighting style screams Malfoy. He punches. You choked. Points for you. You got hit. That takes away points. Next time pin his arms down with your knees; crossing one foot over to the other knee to protect anywhere he could kick. Try to keep your weight on your legs as much as you can because you don't want him to be able to shift his lower body and throw you off of him." He reached over and ruffled the little girl's head.  
  
"Why this sudden change in your attitude towards Keiran and me?" Astrid asked. Draco shook his head and reached for a present. He handed it to Astrid. Astrid took the gift and accepted the fact that her question would go unanswered.  
  
"Who is this from?" she asked.  
  
"Me," Draco replied.  
  
"You got me a present?" Astrid asked. Draco nodded and smiled sheepishly.  
  
"Well sort of," he shrugged. Astrid pulled off the wrapping paper and found a square wooden box with a lighter star inlaid in the top of it. She flipped it open and the notes to a familiar song drifted out.  
  
"Draco!" she squealed. "You fixed it!"  
  
"The way you'd been clinging to that thing, I figured it was sort of important," Draco shrugged. Astrid's face cracked into a bright smile.  
  
"Thank you so much," she said, turning the box around in her hands. Draco had, in fact, completely fixed the music box so that Astrid couldn't even tell where it had been broken.  
  
"Who gave you that?" Emma asked.  
  
"I did, of course," Draco insisted.  
  
"I mean before. The way the pair of you were talking, it had been broken, meaning someone else had given it to her," Emma said, glaring at her older brother.  
  
"Ron," Astrid admitted. Draco looked slightly surprised. Emma's light blue eyes flashed form her brother to her sister and then back to her brother. Draco pretended not to notice and reached for another present. He handed this one to Emma. Emma quickly peeled back the wrapping.  
  
"Thanks Draco," Emma said, looking over the journal in her hands. Draco handed a small package to Astrid. Astrid took the package in her left hand and caught Draco's left hand in her right. She turned his hand and ran her thumb over his knuckles.  
  
"You might want to get mum to check that out," she suggested. Draco winced visibly as her thumb trailed over one of the cuts.  
  
"I'll be alright," Draco countered. He quickly shook Astrid off of his hand and grabbed a package for himself. The package was oddly shaped, small and circular.  
  
"It looks as though you've got one just like this," Draco said, looking from the package in his hand to the packages remaining in Astrid's pile.  
  
"Who are they from?" Astrid asked. Draco quickly checked the tag on the package.  
  
"Keiran," he said. He tossed Astrid her present. "This should be interesting." He began to peel the wrapping from his present. Astrid quickly tore into hers.  
  
"COAL!" Astrid cried, looking at the black rocks lying in her hands.  
  
"What's the bet Lucius put him up to it?"  
  
*****  
  
"GOD BLESS US, EVERYONE!" a female voice shrieked from the kitchen of the Burrow.  
  
"Uh, I think you're a bit wrong on that one," a male voice said.  
  
"HEY GINNY! SOMETHING ABOUT NICK AND PRESENTS!" the girl screeched.  
  
"What about naked presents?" Fred asked. Hermione smacked him sharply on his arm.  
  
"Wouldn't Happy Christmas work just as well?" A different male voice asked.  
  
"It would, only that's not quite as much fun," the girl replied.  
  
"TONKS!" the twins chorused.  
  
"TWINS!" Tonks shouted. She sprinted around the corner into the living room and vaulted towards the couch. She landed on the twins, Hermione and Natalia who were all sitting on the couch. Tonks rolled over and reclined on her back on the four people. Her red, green and gold hair streamed out across one of the arm rests. She rested her elbow on Fred's knee and rested her head in her hand, while crossing her left foot over her right knee.  
  
"Happy Christmas, Tonks," Hermione said, looking down at the girl half lying in her lap.  
  
"To you too, Hermione," Tonks said. She quickly pulled her hands to her face to muffle a large sneeze escaping from her smallish nose. When she pulled her hands away, it looked like she had traded noses with one Severus Snape.  
  
"Wow, I hate it when that happens," she muttered, crossing her eyes to look down at the tip of the nose.  
  
"Just as long as you don't get the greasy hair to go with it," Fred laughed.  
  
"I can change my hair but manufacturing that much grease is physically impossible, even for a metamorphmagus," Tonks laughed.  
  
"Did I hear Nympho Tonks in here screeching like a Banshee?" A very bleary-eyed Charlie Weasley asked from just inside the room.  
  
"Oh shove it," Tonks began.  
  
"Charlie!" Natalia's girlish squeal finished the sentence for Tonks.  
  
"Holy!" Tonks began.  
  
"TONKS!" Fred, George and Hermione chorused, to drown out the string of expletives Tonks spewed as she fell to the floor when Natalia jumped up. Natalia stepped neatly over Tonks and dived into the slightly unsteady arms of her boyfriend.  
  
"Hey mum!" Fred shouted, "Charlie's awake."  
  
"CHARLIE!" Molly shrieked, and everyone heard her quick footsteps pounding down the stairs.  
  
"Sirius, Remus and Harry," Tonks began. "Charlie's awake," Remus supplied. He and Sirius appeared around the corner with Harry close on their heels.  
  
"Charlie's awake?" Ginny asked. She stepped out of the doorway leading to the basement with Braeden just behind her.  
  
"Wow, I feel important. People are literally crawling out of the woodwork because I'm awake," Charlie joked. "How long have I been out anyway?"  
  
"Since the 21st," Hermione supplied. "It's now Christmas day." Charlie shook his head with slight disbelief.  
  
"Weren't Bill and Arabella supposed to be sitting with you?" Molly asked.  
  
"Errr," Charlie hesitated. "Yes." Natalia motioned him to her now empty seat on the couch.  
  
"I oughta," Molly turned towards the stairs.  
  
"You really oughta not go up there," Charlie said. He turned a shade of that infamous Weasley red.  
  
"Oh," Molly said, turning bright red herself.  
  
"So what happened in the days I've been out?" Charlie asked, easing the silent tension in the room.  
  
"Freedom!" Sirius exclaimed.  
  
"Freedom?" Charlie asked.  
  
"Peter Pettigrew is in Azkaban, and I'm officially free now," Sirius said with a broad smile.  
  
"And officially a pain our arses ever since," Tonks muttered. She still lay stretched out on the floor.  
  
"Oh be nice," Molly scolded Tonks. Tonks looked quite sheepish. "And could you please change your nose back?" Tonks closed her eyes, face screwed up in intense concentration. A moment later, the identical twin of Molly Weasley lay in the floor where Tonks had been.  
  
"Is this better?" she asked.  
  
"Not exactly," Molly replied.  
  
"What happened to the rest of the Death Eaters?" Charlie asked. "Was anyone else hurt in the attack?"  
  
"Well, we caught nine of the ones at the wedding, and they're all in Azkaban right now. No one else from the wedding was hurt, but the attack was actually simply a distraction so more Death Eaters could kill a family not too far from London. It kept most of the good Aurors away from the scene," Sirius explained.  
  
"Kill?" Charlie asked.  
  
"Max and Juliet Alexander, along with their daughter Finley and their son Reece were killed in the other attack. Miraculously, however, their two year old daughter Sloane survived," Molly said.  
  
"What about Sloane?" Charlie asked.  
  
"Remus over there actually adopted Sloane since the rest of her family is dead," Sirius said.  
  
"So Remus is a father now," Charlie laughed. Remus and Sirius both nodded.  
  
"And this baby is going to live in a flat with the three of you?" Charlie asked, nodding towards Remus, Sirius and Tonks.  
  
"Either that or we're moving in with Bill and Bella, we haven't quite decided yet," Tonks said.  
  
"Oh my," Charlie said. "Somehow I don't think the five of you should be able to have a baby."  
  
"A baby and me," Harry added.  
  
"You're going to live with Sirius over the holidays?" Hermione asked. Harry nodded.  
  
"I'm going to Harry's house next summer then," Ron declared. He and Angelina straggled through the front door dragging brooms behind them.  
  
"You really want to stay in a house with Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Bill, Bella, Harry and Sloane?" Charlie asked. "Wait. Never mind. I see your point."  
  
"You're awake!" Ron cried, noticing his previously unconscious older brother lounging comfortably on the couch.  
  
"You're slow on the uptake," Charlie countered, with much the same tone of voice. Ron glared at his older brother and brandished his broomstick like a sword.  
  
"Ronnikins, there is no use for that, especially on Christmas day," Charlie scolded in a dead-on imitation of Molly. "Say, speaking of Christmas, don't I get presents?"  
  
*****  
  
"Mum, where are father and Keiran?" Draco asked Narcissa. He stepped into his mother's study and stopped just by the door. Narcissa looked up from her seat on the couch and the book she was reading.  
  
"Your father and brother had a meeting with the Dark Lord," Narcissa replied. Draco nodded, looking down at his feet. Narcissa surveyed her oldest son with a critical eye. He had grown into a well-built young man. She was sure he could have any girl in school that he wanted, only his attitude stood in the way of that goal.  
  
"Is Keiran really going to go through with it?" Draco asked, looking back at his mother with imploring silver eyes.  
  
"Yes, I believe so. He's the son your father always expected you to be." Draco smiled slightly and stared back at his feet.  
  
"That could be me," he said, tucking a strand of white-blonde hair behind his left ear. Only then did Narcissa notice the cuts on the back of her son's hand.  
  
"Shall I heal that then?" she asked, pointing at his hand and ignoring his statement.  
  
"I'd rather you didn't," Draco said. "I got in a nasty fight with a wall yesterday afternoon and I think I'd like to keep the scars." Narcissa nodded. Draco always was the most passionate of her children, prone to mood swings and following wild tangents. He was also the most creative. Keiran was the sly, secretive one, while Astrid was the most stubborn, determined to prove that she was not like her brothers. Emma was the most levelheaded of the lot, while Barrett had been the group comedian, the most free- spirited.  
  
"How do you feel?" Narcissa asked, returning the imploring gaze. Draco shifted his weight between his feet and chewed nervously on the side of his lip.  
  
"That could be me," he repeated.  
  
"Draco, you made the right choice," Narcissa tried to assure her son.  
  
"People have died because of my choice. How can that be the right choice?" Draco asked, glaring directly at his mother. He knew how to use his eyes as his most powerful weapon and indeed, Narcissa almost bent under her son's gaze.  
  
"Do not blame the deaths of the Alexander family on yourself. Your choice had no affect on that situation what so ever, so don't ever think it did," Narcissa replied.  
  
"Don't be so sure. Lucius and I had a discussion the other night about how I shouldn't have gone to the Yule Ball with," Draco paused and swallowed hard. "Her."  
  
"The trouble with Max and Juliet had been brewing before you took Finley to the Yule Ball," Narcissa said. "The Dark Lord doesn't eradicate entire families because a son of one of his followers took their daughter to the Yule Ball."  
  
"Still, Happy Christmas to me," Draco replied softly. He tucked the strand of hair back behind his ear. "Okay, so my choice didn't effect the Alexanders at all, but explain Barrett. And Keiran." Narcissa remained quiet. "If I had chosen the other way, you would have only lost one child, not two." Narcissa was still speechless, wishing she could effectively counter Draco's argument.  
  
"Draco, look at me," Narcissa commanded quietly. Draco brought his silver-grey eyes up to meet his mother's blue's. "You made a choice. I believe you made the right choice. If you had gotten as far into this as Keiran is, your mouth would have gotten you in trouble, and then who knows what the Dark Lord would have done. He may have killed all of us."  
  
"Still, Barrett," Draco began.  
  
"As cliché as this may sound, Barrett is better off where she is now. And you were her hero for her entire life. Imagine how different that would be if you had chosen differently and she had lived."  
  
"She'd be like Astrid and Emma," Draco muttered.  
  
"I think your sisters are a bit smarter than you give them credit for being," Narcissa said. "Or at least they're beginning to see through the façade you put up for yourself at school and when you're around your father and Keiran."  
  
"They weren't there the night Barrett died, they'll never understand," Draco said.  
  
"No, they weren't there," Narcissa agreed. "And they probably won't understand."  
  
"So what do I do about Astrid when I get back to school?" Draco asked.  
  
"Technically things should probably pick back up right where you left off, but if you can't manage that, ignore her. I know that may be hard, but you don't want Keiran or your father to get suspicious," Narcissa instructed. She sat up on the couch and crossed one leg over the other, looking directly at her son.  
  
"Does she know what's going on with Keiran?" Draco asked. He lowered himself into a sitting position on the floor. His arms hugged his legs to his chest, and he rested his chin on his knees.  
  
"She probably feels some of it through the tie and everything, but I'm pretty sure her little stunt with being put in Gryffindor cut her off from any information anyone would have otherwise passed her way," Narcissa explained.  
  
"Would you really expect anything less from Astrid though?" Draco asked.  
  
"In all honesty, I expected a Ravenclaw," Narcissa replied.  
  
"Come on mum, Astrid? She has enough Slytherin blood in her that they'd kick her out of Ravenclaw in less than three seconds," Draco laughed. "I think Gryffindor is actually a fairly good fit for her. I'll expect Ravenclaw from Emma though."  
  
"Yes, I can see that," Narcissa agreed.  
  
"Granger better watch out. Emma Malfoy might very well upset her title as smartest witch in school," Draco said.  
  
"Do you really think Emma will be as showy as you say that Granger girl is?" Narcissa asked.  
  
"Okay no. Maybe if Emma had her intelligence and Astrid's attitude and Barrett's mouth, then she'd take Granger's place, but as she is now, I don't see it happening," Draco laughed. Narcissa smiled down at her son, smoothing her dark red robe over her knees.  
  
"I don't how you think you can talk about Astrid's attitude. I don't know how you manage to fit yours into Hogwarts." Draco blushed a pale pink.  
  
"You know mum, there is going to come a day really soon when I have break the Prince of Slytherin façade. The Jr. Death Eater meetings are getting rather tedious, and if I have to put up with Parkinson for one more second, I think I shall retch."  
  
"Son, deal with it. You are still, after all Lucius Malfoy's son. The implications that come with that may force you to do things more than deal with Pansy Parkinson and attend Jr. Death Eater meetings," Narcissa said. Draco stretched one plaid flannel clad leg out in front of him and arched his back much like a cat.  
  
"Yes. When I was younger, I had very definite plans about my future. I wanted to be a Quidditch player. Or possibly a grocer. But then my father gave me a very tiresome speech about responsibility and sacrifice. I draw the line at groveling and tattooing though. This Malfoy does not grovel," Draco spat. "Well, not unless it's very beneficial to me."  
  
"Draco, just please keep your mouth shut for a little longer," Narcissa said.  
  
"Yes mother," Draco replied, nodding his head dutifully. "After all, I need more time to redeem myself to Astrid and Emma."  
  
"Very good," Narcissa replied.  
  
"Hey mum, is my room still downstairs?" Draco asked.  
  
"Draco, you haven't been there," Narcissa began, surprised at her son's question.  
  
"Since, yes I know how long it's been. But I want to go back. Is it still there?" Draco asked.  
  
"Yes, just remember your charms," Narcissa replied. Draco nodded at his mother.  
  
"Of course I will," Draco replied. He gracefully moved to his feet and slid over to the couch where his mother sat. "Thank you mum." He leaned down and wrapped his arms around his mother's thin shoulders. She quickly returned his hug. He let go of her and left the room.  
  
"I love you Draco," she whispered to his retreating back. She smiled slightly and looked back to the book on her lap, but she didn't pick it up to read. She was thankful her son had come to talk to her again. In the three, almost four years directly following Barrett's death, Draco had become distant, withdrawn, and all together hard to reach. Narcissa had been afraid he would follow in his father's footsteps even after everything he had been through. But then, during his fourth year at school, Narcissa had received a letter from the boy. The majority of the letter was a rant about being bounced off of the ceiling and how he didn't know which side was good if the supposed good guys would do that to someone. Narcissa hadn't gathered from the letter that her son had been in ferret form when the bouncing took place, but she was glad something had made him begin to question. And while Draco still had massive issues with muggles and muggle- born witches and wizards, Narcissa truly felt he was taking steps in the right direction.  
  
%%%%  
  
After leaving his mother's study, Draco took an immediate left, ducked behind a tapestry and ran down the flight of stairs hidden there. He ran back over the conversation with his mother in his mind.  
  
"Confused," he muttered to himself. "That's what I am. Well, confused and crazy, now that I'm talking to myself." While he knew he didn't particularly like muggles or those of muggle parentage, he couldn't keep the image of Barrett lying cold on the floor of her nursery, curls spread about her head like a halo and brown eyes opened towards nothing, dead, out of his mind. While he hadn't seen Finley, he knew of the Gladium curse and knew enough of its effects that he was thankful for not having seen her. He wasn't sure that anyone deserved to meet either of those fates.  
  
He stepped out of a door at the bottom of the long staircase and turned right. He stopped at the third portrait hole on the left and looked at the portrait. He pressed his hand against a point in the frame, and the portrait immediately swung open. Draco crawled inside the room and surveyed its contents. Everything was covered in at least an inch of dust, but was just as he had left it, the night Barrett died some four and a half years earlier. He pulled out his wand and fired a spell to remove the dust, as well as one to silence all sound coming from the room. The portrait swung closed behind him. He walked over and took a seat on the lone bench in the room. He folded back the cover of the keys on the grand piano. Placing his fingers in an all too familiar position, he closed his eyes and tried to digest the feel of his hands on the cool ivories again. He carefully placed a foot on the cold metal pedal and took a deep breath. As he exhaled, he opened his eyes and began to play. 


	34. Chapter 34

So it's chapter 34.  
  
JKR owns all of them but Astrid, and she's cool enough to almost compensate. But only almost. Bob Dylan owns the song.  
  
Please Review. Thanks for your reviews.  
  
We love Nat  
  
That being said.  
  
*****  
  
"RON!" A small female voice cried from outside the compartment where Ron, Hermione and Harry all stood. Harry struggled to boost his trunk into an overhead rack while Ron surveyed the contents of the lunch his mother had packed for the three of them. Hermione sat in the seat below Harry's trunk. The door to the compartment flew open and a tiny figure clothed in a black robe tore through. One step into the compartment, the girl jumped and wrapped both arms around Ron's waist. The older boy wasn't expecting to be jumped on, so he wasn't on balance to begin with. The attack made him stumble backwards into Harry. Harry crashed into the opposite wall of the compartment with Ron and then Astrid on top of him. His trunk tumbled from the ceiling, bouncing into Hermione's lap before coming to a stop directly on top of Astrid.  
  
"You know, if this isn't a good time, we can come back," another familiar female voice said from the doorway. Harry struggled to move Ron to a point where he could see the person in the doorway.  
  
"No Hannah, Astrid's just being a bit excitable," Harry said. He tried to get out from under the pile of people, but couldn't.  
  
"I understand. Justin and Ernie are trying to pry Chelsea off of the ceiling I believe," Mandy laughed.  
  
"A hand here, Hermione?" Ron asked. Astrid was overcome by a case of giggles so extreme that she hadn't tried to move to trunk. Hermione hadn't looked up from her book since just after the trunk hit her lap. Still not looking up, she flicked her wand, muttering her signature Wingardium Leviosa to the trunk. The trunk floated lazily to the top of the ceiling.  
  
"Thanks, Hermione," Ron muttered. He picked up a giggling Astrid and deposited her into the seat across from Hermione. He flung himself into the seat next to her and glared down at her.  
  
"Well it's nice to see you too, Ron," she giggled. Ron smiled and shook his head at the little girl. Harry picked himself up off of the floor and closed the space between himself and Hannah. She wrapped her arms around his waist, while he captured her shoulders in a tight hug, resting his cheek on the top of her head.  
  
"AWWW!" two voices chorused from behind Mandy. Harry and Hannah quickly jumped away from each other and looked towards the door. Jason and Sawyer stood in the hallway just behind Mandy, grinning and waving like idiots. Harry pulled Hannah into the seats next to Hermione. The pair smiled wickedly at Mandy, who reluctantly sat down across from Hannah, to Ron's immediate right. Jason and Sawyer ran across the compartment to Astrid. Jason sunk to the floor next to her seat, while Sawyer clambered into the luggage racks.  
  
"Wow," Mandy said, surveying the crowded compartment. "Where are we planning on putting Justin and Ernie and Mandrake Chelsea?"  
  
"Up here with me," Sawyer replied. "No wait, scratch that. Mandrake Chelsea can stay down there where she is supposed to."  
  
"Finch-Fletchley could always climb up there with you," Mandy suggested with a laugh.  
  
"Yeah. That would be as effective as trying to stuff Ron up here," Sawyer replied.  
  
"No ideas, guys," Ron said, attempting to glare at Harry and Astrid at the same time.  
  
"If we shrink him first," Harry said, raising his eyebrows at Astrid.  
  
"If we shrink him, we could simply put him one of our trunks or something," Astrid laughed.  
  
"No shrinking Ron!" Ron insisted. Harry and Astrid both grinned at their friend, attempting for innocent and failing miserably.  
  
"HI GUYS!" Mandrake Chelsea screeched, tearing into the compartment. Ernie and Justin sheepishly ducked around the corner after her.  
  
"Chelsea, please, we're all sitting right here," Hannah admonished. "That level of volume is totally unnecessary." Chelsea released a cackle loud enough for the entire train to hear before pulling out her wand. Ernie and Justin stepped into the compartment and pulled the door shut behind them.  
  
"And guys, you propose all eleven of us fit in here how?" Ernie asked. "Chelsea, put away your wand." Chelsea wordlessly pocketed the instrument.  
  
"Twelve," Sawyer said, waving from the luggage rack.  
  
"I shall sit with Sawyer," Chelsea announced. Sawyer released a groan that was audible to the entire compartment. His obvious pleasure didn't faze Chelsea, as she used Ron's lap as a step stool to vault herself into the luggage compartment next to Sawyer. Justin wordlessly stepped across the compartment and sank to the floor next to Jason. Ernie turned to look at Astrid.  
  
"I could pull rank and make you move," he suggested. Astrid pulled her wand and pointed it at Ernie.  
  
"I could fix it where you'll never move again," Astrid suggested evenly, with a smirk only rivaled by Draco's. "I am a Malfoy you know."  
  
"Astrid," Ron warned. Astrid stuffed her wand back into her pocket and slid closer to Ron.  
  
"You may have part of my seat, Ernie," she said brightly. Ernie rolled his eyes at the little girl before taking the part of the seat she had offered. This action ultimately forced Ron to scoot closer to Mandy so Astrid wouldn't be completely squished between the two fifth years.  
  
"How did you do that?" Ernie asked Ron. Ron shrugged noncommittally.  
  
"Skill," Harry laughed. Ernie shook his head at the boy.  
  
"What are you reading, Hermione?" he asked.  
  
"Beauxbatons: A History," Hermione replied, never looking away from her book.  
  
"No really," Ernie said.  
  
"No, really. Ginny's boyfriend Braeden gave it to her for Christmas," Harry replied, nodding. "Watch out, because now she can give the history of two schools on command."  
  
"More useless knowledge that we never wanted to hear in the first place," Ron muttered.  
  
"So you credit him as Ginny's boyfriend, but what about the fact that he's Braeden Granger?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Okay, Hermione's cousin who happens to be Ginny's boyfriend," Harry amended his statement.  
  
"Is your cousin a wizard?" Justin asked.  
  
"How would he get her a book about Beauxbatons if he wasn't?" Hannah asked.  
  
"Good point. Does he play Quidditch?" Ernie asked.  
  
"Yes," Ron replied. "He's the keeper for the Beauxbatons team."  
  
"So Ginny will get to see him when she goes to France?" Mandy asked. "That's incredibly cute." She shot a look at the eternally clueless Ron. He, of course, didn't catch the look or the meaning behind it, if he noticed the look at all.  
  
"So how were your Christmases?" Justin asked, looking from Harry to Ron.  
  
"Absolutely fantastic," Harry replied.  
  
"Great. I think it was the first Christmas my entire family has been together since," Ron paused. "I don't think I can remember a Christmas when my entire family has been together."  
  
"Really?" Mandy asked.  
  
"Well, Bill was in school by the time Ginny and I were born. He used to stay at school with the library during the holidays, so we never really got to see him, and then Percy did the same thing when he started school, after Bill graduated and all, so I really don't think the entire family has even had Christmas together," Ron explained.  
  
"And this Christmas it was his entire family, two brother's wives, a couple of brothers' friends and girlfriends, the sister's boyfriend, the parents of one of the friends and the brother, sister-in-law, niece and nephew of one of the wives." Harry laughed.  
  
"What?" Hannah asked. "Could you possibly repeat that in English?" Harry took a deep breath.  
  
"The entire Weasley family was at the Burrow. Two of the brothers are married now, so their wives were also there. The other five siblings each had one guest. One of the guests' parents were there. Bill's wife's brother, his wife, and their two children were there," Harry explained. Hannah rolled her eyes.  
  
"So you're trying to say there were half a million people there," she laughed.  
  
"Something to that effect," Ron nodded.  
  
"What about your Christmases?" Harry asked.  
  
"Dinner at home with my mum and Mandy and Carter," Hannah said.  
  
"You didn't see your other brothers?" Ron asked. Mandy hung her head.  
  
"No," she mumbled. "They still refuse to have anything to do with me and Carter because we're magic." Ron looked helplessly across the car at Harry, but before Harry could do anything, Astrid jerked a sharp elbow into Ron's side. As soon as Ron looked at her, she tossed her tiny arm around Ernie's shoulders.  
  
"Malfoy, what exactly," Ernie began, but Astrid clamped her other hand over his mouth.  
  
"Well, don't do that part," she mouthed to Ron. On Astrid's advice, Ron slipped his arm around Mandy's shoulders.  
  
"Now say something sweet," Astrid hissed.  
  
"Something sweet," Ron hissed in return. Mandy turned to Ron.  
  
"What was that?" she asked.  
  
"Astrid's being a prat," Ron replied. Mandy giggled. Harry let out a very undignified snort from across the compartment where he was trying unsuccessfully to prevent himself from laughing.  
  
"That's not necessarily what I meant by sweet," Astrid said. She jumped to her feet on the seat, almost banging her head on Sawyer and Chelsea's luggage rack. "And I'll show you being a prat."  
  
"Astrid, please, sit," Ernie said. Astrid immediately fell backwards, right into Ernie's lap.  
  
"Is this better?" she asked.  
  
"Astrid, if you don't behave and sit still, you're going to have to sit in the floor with Jason and Justin," Ernie warned.  
  
"Who is going to make me?" Astrid asked, sweetly.  
  
"Me," Ernie replied. Astrid widened her silver eyes and looked directly at the fifth year prefect.  
  
"You and what army?" she asked in the most innocent voice she could muster. Harry almost fell off of his seat, overcome with laughter, while Hannah and Mandy giggled politely.  
  
"Harry? Ron? Help here?" Ernie asked.  
"You're own your own, mate," Harry gasped through his laughter. Ron nodded his agreement.  
  
"Why aren't you as easy to deal with as the Hufflepuff first years?" Ernie asked the small girl still seated on his lap.  
  
"You really mean that?" Chelsea asked from the luggage rack. "I'm really easy to deal with?"  
  
"I'd eat those words," Justin advised from the floor.  
  
"At least you listen," Ernie said towards the direction of the luggage rack.  
  
"Hey Ron?" Astrid asked, bored with tormenting Ernie.  
  
"Yes?" Ron replied. The first year still hadn't moved from Ernie's lap.  
  
"Where are Alroy and Juliet?" Astrid asked. "I want to see the little dears."  
  
"No Astrid, they're cats. And besides, the plural of deer is deer," Hermione absentmindedly scolded. Astrid didn't notice the levels of red Ron and Harry had turned.  
  
"So where are they?" Astrid asked, ignoring Hermione all together. Harry lapsed into a fit of suspicious coughing, while Ron turned almost purple.  
  
"Well you see," Ron began.  
  
"WHERE ARE MY KITTENS!" Astrid screeched.  
  
"Man, just give her the bloody kittens!" Ernie agreed, sounding slightly on edge and more than a little put off at the first year still perched on his lap.  
  
"Geeze guys, don't have kittens," Harry scolded, laughing loudly at his own joke. Hannah jerked an elbow softly into his side.  
  
"Not funny, Potter," she joked. Everyone else just rolled their eyes at the boy.  
  
"Fred and George got a hold of your kittens and they've dyed Alroy red and Juliet this lovely shade of green and none of us can figure out how to get them back to their normal color." Hermione's head snapped up from her book. She glared at Ron as she delivered the explanation Ron and Harry had been unable to give. Harry's face had turned fire engine red while Ron's leveled on a plum purple.  
  
"May I at least see them?" Astrid asked politely. She smiled from Harry to Ron to Hermione. Ron promptly issued a shrill whistle. A blaze-red ball of fur bolted from under Harry's seat and clawed its way to Ron's left shoulder. An over-grown, furry pea primly made its way to the center of the compartment. It stopped and daintily licked it's paw before climbing up to join its brother, occupying a spot on Ron's free shoulder.  
  
"See what I taught them?" Ron asked, smiling like a child who had stolen the last cookie from the jar and not been caught by his mother.  
  
"See what we taught Alroy," Harry corrected. "Juliet still only complies when she feels like it."  
  
"Alroy doesn't understand how to act like a proper cat yet," Hermione explained. She tucked a knitted purple bookmark into the back cover of her book and laid the volume on the seat next to her left knee. "He's sort of slow."  
  
"Kind of like his trainer, right?" Astrid asked. Her thin pink lips peeled into a mischievous smirk. Ron rubbed his large freckled hand across the little girls' face several times in quick succession.  
  
"Don't do that," Ron scolded. "It makes you look like Malfoy."  
  
"And that's a problem?" A silky voice asked form the doorway of the compartment. "At least we're attractive. Quite unlike that sister of yours. She looks like one of Hagrid's illegal experiments gone horribly wrong." Ron's face turned an alarming shade of red.'  
  
"Not one of your better insults, Malfoy," Harry said coolly.  
  
"Stay out of this Potter. "Malfoy hissed. "This is about my family being better than the Weasel's. I would invite you to join our little competition, but that's a bit hard since you have no family." Harry's face turned as pale as Malfoy before morphing to a shade of green just a bit lighter than Juliet's sickly pea. Malfoy's moment of attention to Harry gave Ron time to break free of Astrid's, Mandy's and Ernie's grasps. The kittens dived for safety in Astrid's lap. Ron sprang across the car in a flurry of red hair, black robes and gangly freckled limbs. His fist caught Draco's jaw and the pair of boys tumbled to the ground. Draco lay with his back flat on the floor. Ron's right knee ground into Draco's sternum. He had his right fist pulled back close to his ear, fully prepared to smash Draco's face in. Sweat beaded across his forehead, just below the shock of orangey red hair. His sparkling blue eyes had taken on a malicious twinkle as he stared down into the face of his archenemy.  
  
Draco's porcelain face was void of all emotion. A thin ribbon of blood trailed down from the side of Draco's mouth. His expressionless silver-grey eyes stared up at the red-haired monster planted on his chest.  
  
"Now listen here, Malfoy," Ron began. A thing spray of saliva flipped from Ron's thick lips into Draco's face as Ron spoke.  
  
"I, unlike you, can afford to take a shower every day," Draco muttered. "Thanks though." Ron paused to sort out Draco's statement. Harry and Ernie moved towards the fight in the floor while Jason and Justin scrambled out of the way, into Ernie and Ron's vacated seats. Ron's hesitation was enough, however, for Draco to fling Ron off of him. In brief seconds roles reversed. Ron lay on the floor on his back, head resting at Hermione's feet. Harry and Ernie glanced nervously at the door, waiting for Crabbe and Goyle to enter.  
  
"I'm a prefect, you know," Ron muttered. Draco's slim hands fastened just under Ron's jaw, around the boy's throat. One of Draco's slightly bony knees rested on each of Ron's wrists, and his feet curled backwards to pin Ron's legs to the floor.  
  
"Bully for you, Weasel, I am too. Therefore, I will be allowed to say my piece. If anyone begins to remove a point, that includes you McMillan, Gryffindor will be in negative points because he did, after all, attack me." The crowd in the compartment remained still, frozen in place. Draco's hands slowly increased the pressure on Ron's throat. Ron's eyes peeled open and his face began to turn a shade of red-tinted lavender that didn't look entirely healthy.  
  
"50 Points from Gryffindor!" came two voices.  
  
"50 points from Slytherin!" came two others.  
  
"Wingardium Leviosa!" was Astrid's girlish shout just as Harry jumped from his seat, set on planting the hard point of his elbow into Draco's spine. Astrid jerked her wand towards the ceiling as fast as she could. Draco shot straight up, flailing about in the air like a rag doll. He smacked into the ceiling with a satisfying crack. Ron noticed his incoming best friend with only seconds to spare. He rolled quickly towards Mandy's feet, both hands on his throat. Harry smashed into the floor, elbow first, with a crash that rattled the compartment.  
  
Ron released a gurgled, inarticulate cry. Astrid's wand clattered to the floor. Her brother fell along with the thin wooden stick. He landed in the most ungraceful position, directly on top of Harry and Ron. He lay flat on his back, tie askew, robes flung open. His pants legs had ridden up to his knees, exposing two expanses of smooth white finely muscled calf. His blonde hair had fallen out of place, some cascading in his eyes in a fine blonde shade.  
  
"Now can you boys behave?" Hermione asked, glaring down at the pile of prefects in the floor.  
  
"25 more points from Gryffindor for the first year attacking our prefect," a slick voice murmured from the doorway. Every head in the compartment snapped towards the doorway where Blaise Zabini stood, watching the proceedings.  
  
"Shove off, Zabini," Harry muttered, struggling to remove himself from under Draco. Draco stumbled to his feet, adjusting his robe, pants and tie as he went.  
  
"Come on, Zabini," he muttered. He pulled the other prefect away from the scene, closing the compartment door behind him.  
  
"Bloody hell Astrid," Sawyer exclaimed from his perch in the luggage rack. "That was amazing. He was in the floor and then all of the sudden he was up here!"  
  
"Sawyer!" Chelsea cried. "Calm down before you end up down there with them." Sawyer laughed brightly.  
  
"So who extracted points from which houses?" Just asked. "Everyone was yelling all at once and I couldn't tell what everyone said."  
  
"I took points from Slytherin," Hermione said.  
  
" As did I," Ernie agreed. The fifth years, Astrid and Jason all turned quizzical looks on Harry.  
  
"I figured me trying to ram Malfoy through the floor with my elbow was grounds for a few lost Gryffindor points," Harry admitted. His full red lips pulled into a half smile and he pushed the fringe of unruly black hair back from his forehead.  
  
"How very Gryffindor of you, Potter," Astrid said in a dead on impression of her older brother. She smirked at Harry from her seat next to Ron.  
  
"Hey Astrid?" Ron asked. The boy's voice sounded as though it had been thoroughly coated with gravel  
  
"Yes?" Astrid asked.  
  
"Why is your brother such a git?" Ron asked. Astrid ran her fingers through her silvery blonde hair. It cascaded down around her shoulders like water.  
  
"I don't know why he's a git, but he might be worse than usual because he did, after all, loose his girlfriend on what should have been our baby sister's eighth birthday." Astrid provided. A level of sincerity resided in her voice that Ron hadn't expected.  
  
"Your brother got dumped?" Jason asked. Sawyer's head suddenly appeared over the edge of the luggage rack. His round face was red ad his blonde hair fell away form his head to create a fluffy pale halo.  
  
"Jason, do you really like the taste of shoe leather or something?" Sawyer asked.  
  
"Oh my," Jason said, worry evident in his chocolaty eyes. "what have I said now?"  
  
"She died, Jason," Astrid spat, a bit more forcefully than necessary. "She was murdered for no reason! Nothing she did!" The little girl rested her elbows on her knees and dropped her head into her hands. Her hair fell in a curtain over her face. Mandy sniffed loudly. Everyone glanced over at her. Tears poured down her face in thick streams. Ron dropped a protective arm around her shoulders. She wiped the tears from her eyes.  
  
"What's wrong?" Ron asked, quietly. Mandy rested her head on his shoulder.  
  
"I miss my mum," Mandy sobbed. Ron dropped a soft kiss into her smooth brown curls.  
  
"It'll be okay," he whispered. Mandy's shoulder shook as she tried to nod in agreement.  
  
"Oh Miss Mandy, please cheer up!" Justin gracefully picked himself up off of the floor and carefully deposited himself in Mandy's lap. He wound his arms around Mandy's shoulders and pulled his face towards hers until they were forehead to forehead. His aquamarine eyes looked directly into her grey-blues as he hissed instructions to Ron.  
  
"Now take care of Astrid, she may eat anyone else who tries to touch her."  
  
"Are you sure?" Ron asked Mandy.  
  
"Yes," Mandy tearfully agreed. Ron looked over to the first year on the seat beside him. He placed a hand on either of her shoulders and leaned down so his left ear touched her right.  
  
"Are you okay, chica?" He whispered over her muffled sniffles. Astrid shrugged her shoulders.  
  
"Come here chica," Ron said, using his hands to turn the girl towards him. Astrid moved her hands from her head and leaned her head on Ron's shoulder. He ran his hand over Astrid's hair before flicking away a few of her tears with his index finger. Astrid curled her hands to her chest. Ron slid his right arm under Astrid's knees and turned her small body towards his. Astrid scrambled onto Ron's lap and curled up against his chest. He glanced helplessly across the compartment at Harry. Harry lounged comfortably with his left arm around Hannah's shoulder. His thumb moved in small circles just on her arm. A few stray tears trailed won Hannah's face.  
  
"Say something," Hermione mouthed to Ron.  
  
"Hey Astrid," Ron whispered. Astrid's response came in the form of two muffled sniffs. Ron reached over and laced his right fingers through Mandy's left. "30 points to Gryffindor for the first year saving the prefect's life."  
  
*****  
  
"Welcome back students!" Dumbledore called from his seat at the head table. He stood between Professor Vector and Professor McGonagall, his arms outstretched towards the farthest corners of the room. The long drop sleeves of his gold star covered blue velvet robe almost brushed the table.  
  
"I trust you all had a safe holiday. Before we begin the meal, I ask that you all stand and remain silent. For those of you who haven't heard, Finley Reagan Alexander, her parents Maxwell Sonner Alexander and Juliet Finley Alexander, and her younger brother Sonner Reece Alexander were all killed in a Death Eater attack on December 21st. We will now play a reading in honor of Finley. Please remain silent and standing," Dumbledore clasped his hands in front of him as the entire population of the hall staggered to their collective feet. Dumbledore flicked his wand at the ceiling. A moment later, a familiar voice took a trembling breath and then emanated from the starry ceiling.  
  
"May he bless you and keep you always, may your wishes all come true. May you always do for others and let others do for you. May you build a ladder to the stars and climb on every rung May you stay, forever young." At the Gryffindor table, Astrid fought to keep her tears in check. She had cried enough on the train ride. Her brother's voice drifting from the rafters coupled with the memories of both his vicious attack on the wall and the way he had actually acted decent on Christmas morning was almost too much to handle. She felt a hand on each of her shoulders. She looked to either side of her, Jason on her left and Sawyer on her right, and offered a weak smile to two of her best friends.  
  
"May you grow up to be righteous, may you grow up to be true, may you always know the truth and see the light surrounding you. May you always be courageous, stand upright and be strong. May you stay, forever young." At the Slytherin table, Draco looked around at his year-mates. Crabbe and Goyle stood across the table from him. Neither seemed to have a clue what was going on. Taylor and Karen stood next to Goyle with a very disgruntled looking Blaise in between them. The pair seemed to be trying to console Blaise, who wasn't exactly upset. Pansy had taken the spot to Draco's right, where Finley used to sit. Draco's eyes fluttered closed as he tried to remember how he'd last seen her. She had been standing on the platform at King's Cross with Slone holding one hand and Reece holding the other. The lights had danced off of her blue streaked black hair as she smiled at Draco's parting words.  
  
"Watch out for the knicker eating kneazles." Millicent caught his eye over Pansy's sobbing form. She flashed him a sympathetic half smile before turning back to her sister.  
  
"May your hands always be busy, may your feet always be swift. May you have a strong foundation when the winds of changes shift. May your heart always be joyful may your song always be sung. May you stay, Forever young. Forever young. May you stay, forever young." The recorded Draco finished his speech with a flourish.  
  
"Thank you, you may be seated," Dumbledore said. Everyone in the Great Hall slowly sank into their seats, save one Slytherin. The lone fifth year spun on his heel and stormed out of the hall in a flurry of silver hair and black robes. The door slammed behind him with a thundering crash.  
  
"I think your brother has gone off the deep end," Jason muttered as the trio of first years watched the doors of the great hall.  
  
"Shall I smack him or do you want to?" Sawyer asked softly.  
  
*****  
  
"Okay. I've made these color coded exam study schedules," Hermione said, holding out a sheaf of papers to Harry and Ron. The pair were seated on a couch in front of the fire with Hermione standing between them and the fireplace.  
  
"Please no!" Ron cried, shielding his face as if the idea of schedules was particularly painful.  
  
"Okay, not really. These are actually itineraries for the trip to France," Hermione laughed, handing each of the boys a paper. Harry scanned his.  
  
"This bloody rocks!" Harry cried, noticing a bit at the bottom of the page.  
  
"What?" Ron and Hermione both asked.  
  
"Dumbledore is sending along a teaching staff for our week long trip. We'll have Bill for Charms, History of Magic, and Care of Magical Creatures, Bella for Potions, Herbology, and Astronomy and Tonks for Transfiguration and Divination!" Harry cried.  
  
"What about Defense?" Ron asked, trying to peer of Harry's shoulder. He obviously forgot he held an identical paper in his hand.  
  
"Tonks and Bella are team teaching," Harry replied. Ron's face looked much like it had on Christmas morning, while Hermione looked more puzzled.  
  
"What about Arithmancy and Ancient Runes?" she asked.  
  
"Bella and Bill, respectively," Harry replied.  
  
"Do I have to call him Mr. Weasley or Professor Weasley?" Ron asked. Harry and Hermione both shrugged.  
  
"I need to find Fred and George," Hermione said.  
  
"So do we," came a pair of voices from the portrait hole before Hermione could finish her sentence. The trio turned to find Lee Jordan and Marissa Lucas standing just in the common room. Lee's left hip was physically stuck to Marissa's right.  
  
"We think they put something in our drinks at dinner," Lee supplied as an answer to the unasked question in Harry, Ron and Hermione's eyes.  
  
"FREDRICK BAYARD WEASLEY AND GEORGE CLANCY WEASLEY!" Marissa roared. The identical red heads appeared at the door of their dorm room.  
  
"Yes?" Fred asked.  
  
"Get down here and fix us!" Marissa roared.  
  
"If you don't, I'm going to make the prefects take off points," Lee added. Hermione, Harry and Ron took their collective cue to glare menacingly at the twins.  
  
"It wasn't just us!" George cried as the twins rushed down the stairs.  
  
"Who else helped you?" Marissa demanded.  
  
"Jae," George replied easily. Fred jerked an elbow into his side.  
  
"What?" George asked. "She's not Lee and she's not you. I don't have to stay quiet."  
  
"JAE LUCAS!" Lee shouted.  
  
"As George pointed out, she's not the twins. She's smart enough to stay in her room for anyone yelling Jae," Marissa said, elbowing Lee. This action was simplified by the fact that he couldn't move away from her.  
  
"So how do you suppose we get her?" Lee asked. "It's not as though we could really chase her down like this." He glanced down at their joined hips. A devious smile crossed Marissa's face.  
  
"VELVET ESMERALDA LUCAS!" Marissa roared.  
  
"Who is that?" George asked. Marissa smiled sweetly.  
  
"Jae." 


	35. Chapter 35

So this chapter is largely un-beta'd. Just thought I'd issue a fair warning.  
  
I should probably also say that I'm not JKR and I own none of this except Astrid. She almost cool enough to make up for it, but only almost.  
  
I love everyone who has reviewed so far, I really do.  
  
To anyone who hasn't reviewed, please do so! Please!  
  
I guess this is all.  
  
*****  
  
"Imperia," muttered a deep voice. He silently hoped the lesser version of the Imperious would work. This version would only last 24 hours, and was legal, unlike its older brother. A vacant look fell over the eyes of the recipient of the curse.  
  
"You will go back to your common room, act as though everything is normal, and wait for more instructions from me after lunch tomorrow." With any amount of luck, he would only need 24 hours.  
  
*****  
  
"So, uh, Velvet?" Ginny asked. She glanced over at her best friend from her year and raised an eyebrow. Jae pretended not to hear Ginny. The pair sat on cushions in front of the fireplace in Gryffindor common room. Ginny leaned against a couch, while Jae lay flat on her stomach on the cushion, book propped up on another cushion in front of her.  
  
"Velvet, I think Ginny is trying to ask you something," Colin chided from his seat in Hermione's usual chair. Jae continued to ignore her friends.  
  
"I think we were simply wondering how you got the name Jae out of Velvet Esmeralda," Ginny voiced the question everyone else had silently wondered but shied away from asking in the three weeks since Marissa's announcement to the common room.  
  
"I'll answer that question, and then I shall never hear my whole name from your lips again," Jae replied.  
  
"So answer, Velvet Esmeralda," Colin said, smiling sweetly down at Jae. She responded with a visual Avada Kedavara. Colin pretended not to notice.  
  
"Sorry," he said. "I had to say it one more time before I'm banned."  
  
"When I was in my very first year of school, there were 26 children in my class. To make us all learn the alphabet, our teacher decided to assign each child a letter. I don't really remember the exact details of it all except that I was J and that was when J was born and Velvet died. I was simply the letter J until the year before I came to Hogwarts when I added an 'a-y' to make it more interesting," Jae explained.  
  
"So you got to be J-A-E how?" Ginny asked.  
  
"That year in school a boy transferred into my class and his name was 'J-A-Y' so I changed mine to 'J-A-E' and they called him 'y' and me 'e'," Jae replied.  
  
"You have real issues with letters, don't you?" Colin joked.  
  
"I tend to think that my name is much better than the one my parents cursed me with," Jae replied simply. "And it's impossible to guess my real name from my nickname, so it all works out in the end."  
  
"Yeah Jae, you've put a bit too much thought into this," Colin laughed. Jae shrugged and turned back to her reading.  
  
"Of course, if I had a name like Vel-," Jae silenced Ginny with a single glare. "Like Jae's real name," Ginny continued. "I'd go by Jae too." Jae smiled and nodded at her friends.  
  
"See, I have a perfectly good reason," she laughed. Ginny and Colin both rolled their eyes at the girl. Before any of them could say anything else, the portrait crashed open and seven sweaty, slightly smelly people clattered through. Hermione followed them, primly holding a clipboard. Katie fell onto the couch Ginny leaned against. She lay flat on her stomach with her left arm and leg hanging off of the couch and her head resting on the armrest. George lay down exactly on top of her, causing her to attempt to giggle. Angelina flopped down into a chair next to Colin while Fred sat directly on top of his brother's back. Alicia grabbed a cushion from the second couch on her way to the floor between Ginny and Jae. Ron tumbled onto the couch, arms and legs sprawled in such a way that he took up more than half of the couch. Harry crashed onto the floor next to Alicia, while Hermione slid into the seat next to Ron.  
  
"I HATE Oliver Wood," Ron whined.  
  
"That bad?" Ginny asked?  
  
"YES!" chorused the team.  
  
"You know guys, I really appreciate the love, but there are plenty of other places for you to sit," Katie gasped from under the twins.  
  
"But we love you, Katie," the twins chorused.  
  
"Fred," Hermione warned from her spot. Fred promptly jumped off of George's back and ran over to the couch Hermione and Ron occupied. He threw himself down between Ron and Hermione, lying flat on his back. He propped his head on the armrest on Hermione's end of the couch, causing his upper body to fall in Hermione's lap. He propped his feet on Ron's armrest. Ron was too exhausted to notice his brother's legs in his lap.  
  
"George?" Katie asked. George faked a loud snore. "George really. This is slightly uncomfortable." Katie tried one more tactic when George still didn't move. "If you lay there much longer, you may injure me and I won't be able to help kick Beauxbatons's arse in the match in February." George instantly rolled to his left, flipping off of Katie and into the floor with a loud thud, narrowly missing Ginny. He never once opened his eyes or let down his sleep charade.  
  
"So how was practice?" Ginny asked, wisely ignoring her older brother.  
  
"Horrible!" Fred moaned.  
  
"Terrible," Angelina agreed.  
  
"Simply the worst," Katie added.  
  
"I'm leading by two now!" Ron cried, semi-joyfully.  
  
"Leading by two?" Colin asked, raising his eyebrow at the fifth year.  
  
"I have four, Fred and George each have two, and Angelina has one," Ron replied.  
  
"Four, two and one what?" Jae questioned. She abandoned her book and rolled over on her back to look at Ron.  
  
"Bloody noses," Ron answered. He smiled down at his sister's friend.  
  
"That's something to brag about?" Jae asked.  
  
"Well, I didn't have a bloody nose, but I certainly did give Malfoy one," Ron supplied. "I crashed a quaffle right into his face!"  
  
"But that's what he gets. Or I suppose what Oliver gets. Somehow I think forcing a keeper to train against three quaffles at once is a little ridiculous," Harry said.  
  
"Three at once?" Ginny gasped.  
  
"Three at once," Hermione supplied. "I've healed Malfoy's face more times than I care to count. He sits there and mutters things about mudbloods while I'm healing him. If he wasn't such a bloody good keeper, I'd put an anticoagulant charm on his nose next time someone breaks it."  
  
"Anticoagulant?" Katie asked.  
  
"He'd bleed out eventually unless he came up with a counter charm," Hermione replied lightly.  
  
"Bleed out?" Alicia questioned.  
  
"Yes. Bleed out. As in all of the blood would leak out of his body and that would be that," Hermione said with an evil grin at the chaser.  
  
"YOU CAN'T BLEED OUT OUR KEEPER!" Alicia screamed.  
  
"Oh, I don't much fancy a trip to Azkaban either," Hermione laughed. "So don't worry, no anticoagulant charms for Malfoy's nose."  
  
"No anticoagulant charms for any part of Malfoy at ALL!" Angelina cried. "He's a git, but he's a bloody good keeper. I don't much fancy going against Beauxbatons without him."  
  
"What about me?" Ron asked.  
  
"You're a bloody good keeper too, but to have an all Gryffindor team would look bad on Hogwarts," Alicia explained.  
  
"And besides. If Malfoy was dead, the team eye-candy would be gone," Angelina muttered.  
  
"Eye-candy?" Ron asked.  
  
"Don't ask," Hermione said, rolling her eyes.  
  
"I want to know!" Ron insisted.  
  
"He's the only guy on the team worth looking at," Katie provided. George sat up and glared directly at Katie.  
  
"So THAT'S what it takes to make you come alive," Katie laughed. George glared at her.  
  
"You said Malfoy was cute," George pouted.  
  
"No, I said he was the only guy on the team worth looking at. This is simply because I can't tell you from Fred when playing Quidditch, so I don't want to accidentally stare at Fred," Katie supplied.  
  
"And besides, this is entirely subjective. I mean, he's practically Voldemort's heir, he's a prick and he has a rotten attitude. He's just also hotter than hell," Alicia laughed.  
  
"I think you're all sick," Hermione insisted. She leaned over and dropped a kiss on Fred's sweaty forehead. He tossed his arm around her shoulders in reply.  
  
"Fred, you really do smell horrible," Hermione announced.  
  
"Thank you darling," Fred laughed. He pulled his head up and rested it on her shoulder, making sure part of his sweaty hair tickled her nose. Hermione laughed and pushed Fred back to his part of the couch.  
  
"Do it!" a voice shouted from the corner.  
  
"You chose dare!" another voice called. Parts of the group of older students recognized this voice as that of one Sawyer Lewis. Hermione struggled to see over the back of the couch to where the group of first years gathered in the corner of the common room. The youngest children in the house all crowded in the corner in something of a circle. All eleven were looking intensely at the group of older students, or, rather, the back of Hermione, Fred and Ron's couch. Hailey, Karey and Madeline all huddled in a small group in the farthest corner. The three girls kneeled primly on the ground, robes smoothed across their knees and tie's perfectly straight. Carson and Charlie lay to either side of them like a pair of well-trained guard dogs. The three girls looked anxiously at the back of the couch while the two boys couldn't have looked more disinterested if they had been in potions class. Nathan, Evelyn and Gus crowded together nervously next to Charlie. They didn't look as interested as the first five but more nervous at being included in the entire group activity. Sawyer and Jason sat a bit in front of Karey, Madeline and Hailey waving their encouragement to the back of the couch. Hermione glanced over the first years again, realizing Astrid was mysteriously absent. Suddenly, everyone's interest in the back of the couch became clear. A small blonde haired form sprang over the back of the couch, just next to Ron's left ear. She leaned around the fifth year and blindly kissed towards his face before flipping backwards around the couch and running back to her group.  
  
Ron reached up and touched a spot on his face just above his lips, rather next to his nose.  
  
"ARGH!" He exclaimed. "I do believe I just got kissed by a first year!"  
  
"Good thing you snogged Mandy at the Yule Ball then," Fred laughed.  
  
"Yeah," George added. "If your first kiss was a first year, we'd never let you live it down!"  
  
"My first kiss wasn't even Mandy, thank you very much," Ron spat. He still hadn't taken his fingers from his face.  
  
"It WASN'T?" Angelina asked.  
  
"Who was it then?" Katie pressed for an answer. Everyone in the group sitting next to the fire turned to look at the tallest redhead.  
  
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Ron asked, smiling mischievously at the group.  
  
"Yes, we would, and that's precisely why we asked you," Alicia laughed.  
  
"So who was it, ickle-Ronnikins?" Fred questioned.  
  
"Your girlfriend," Ron quipped.  
  
"Hermione?" Fred asked, jaw dropped. The chasers dissolved into fits of hysterical laughter, while George and Ginny simply grinned at their brothers. Jae and Colin looked utterly befuddled by the entire situation while Harry rolled his eyes at the entire group.  
  
"No, your other girlfriend," Ron laughed, glaring down at his brother whose legs were still cast across his lap. "Oh, that's right," Ron continued. "You haven't had any others."  
  
"Don't you remember at the very beginning of the year?" Hermione asked. "We kissed in the common room and then instantly screamed about how it felt like kissing our siblings."  
  
"Oh yes, I remember now," Fred laughed. "I'm glad you don't remind ME of my sister." He leaned up and planted a gigantic kiss on her lips.  
  
'Do you think we should either punish the first years or at least break up their little game?" Ron asked. Hermione broke away from her kiss and glared at him sheepishly over Fred's head.  
  
"If you want to you can, but I think at this point that might be a bit hypocritical of me," she said.  
  
"It was only Astrid, Ron. You can't take points from Astrid," Harry muttered.  
  
"Playing favorites, are we?" Head girl Alicia asked. Harry shrugged noncommittally.  
  
"Maybe," he replied.  
  
"You shouldn't play favorites," Alicia scolded. Harry shrugged again.  
  
"It's difficult to discipline your friends, and Astrid is definitely a friend even though she's only 11," Harry attempted to explain. Alicia shrugged at the seeker.  
  
"So I should take points," Alicia said.  
  
"Or you could just break up their game," Angelina suggested. Alicia nodded.  
  
"Quidditch practice has really fried my brain. That does seem like the most reasonable suggestion," she agreed. She rolled over and looked at the ceiling, contemplating standing.  
  
"Come on, Alicia, it's really not that hard. Just go yell at the first years," Katie urged.  
  
"Ron, you're a prefect. Tell them it's lights out time," Alicia instructed from the floor. She still hadn't managed to stand up or move much at all. Ron glared at Alicia before turning to glare at the first years over his shoulder.  
  
"Kids, go to your dorm rooms now," he instructed, rather louder than necessary. The eleven students split and hightailed to their rooms. When Ron looked again, Jason, Sawyer and Astrid still sat in the corner. The pair of boys huddled around their friend, partially obscuring Ron's view.  
  
"What part of go to your rooms didn't you all understand?" Ron asked. Jason and Sawyer looked over at him with particularly terrified looks on their faces. Quickly enough, they broke away from Astrid and ran for the stairs. Astrid remained seated, hands clamped around her ankle.  
  
"Could you come here for just a minute?" the first year requested before Ron could say anything to her.  
  
"Astrid, really, I don't much feel like moving," Ron replied.  
  
"Harry, if you summon me," Astrid began, before Harry had a chance to move. "I'll."  
  
"You'll do what?" Harry asked with a maniac laugh.  
  
"Seriously, one of you please come here," Astrid requested, sounding a lot more calm and a bit more helpless than she had before.  
  
"Why don't you come here?" Harry whined.  
  
"I twisted my ankle running back over here after that last dare," Astrid explained. "I don't want to walk over there because my ankle hurts."  
  
"Well we don't fell like moving! Quidditch practice was rotten!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
"Hold on Astrid, I'll be there," Hermione said. She dumped Fred off of her lap and sprang to her feet, narrowly missing stepping on Fred's head. She stomped around the couch and over to where Astrid sat.  
  
"What's up?" she asked, sinking to the floor next to the little girl. Astrid had both hands clamped around her left ankle.  
  
"I twisted my ankle and it really hurts," Astrid said, looking up at Hermione through eerie silver-grey eyes. Hermione reached for Astrid's hands.  
  
"How about I have a look at it?" Hermione asked, reaching for the girl's hands. Astrid willingly let her hands drop away from her ankle. Hermione propped Astrid's thin ankle up in her own lap and looked it over.  
  
"It doesn't look swollen or anything," she said.  
  
"It hurts really really badly," Astrid insisted. Hermione began running her right index and middle fingers all over Astrid's foot to try to feel anything out of place. Her fingers fell on a spot just above the anklebone on the inside of Astrid's leg.  
  
"Bloody hell!" Hermione shrieked.  
  
"What's the problem?" Astrid asked innocently.  
  
"Your ankle is so hot that it probably should be melting," Hermione replied. She held out her fingers to Astrid. The tips of both fingers were dark pink in color from touching the girl's ankle.  
  
"It's not melting is it?" Astrid asked, raising an eyebrow at Hermione.  
  
"Not melting, but probably fully ready to combust," Hermione replied.  
  
"This is the worst it's been in a while," Astrid admitted, leaning back against the wall.  
  
"I can understand that. We should take you to Madame Pomfrey," Hermione said.  
  
"I'd really rather not go. You're the trainer for the Quidditch team. If you can heal my brother's face then you can heal my ankle, right? Astrid asked.  
  
"Do you think a cooling spell would help?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Probably. I think that's about all Madame Pomfrey could do," Astrid replied.  
  
"Alright, I'll cool it and then get Ron to carry you up to your room, how does that sound?" Hermione questioned.  
  
"Sounds fine by me," Astrid replied. Hermione pulled her wand out and pointed it at the hottest point on Astrid's ankle. She muttered a spell and instantly Astrid's ankle cooled off.  
  
"Thanks Hermione," Astrid said.  
  
"No problem," Hermione replied. "Hey Ron, come here!" The youngest Weasley boy stumbled to his feet and trudged over to where Hermione and Astrid sat. The three chasers, Ginny and Jae excused themselves to their rooms for the night, Ginny and Jae citing girl talk as a reason, while the chasers went with Katie's "I'm the stinky kid in school and no one likes the stinky kid."  
  
"Could you carry me upstairs?" Astrid asked. "My ankle hurts and I don't think I can walk by myself." Hermione shot Ron an imploring look that commanded him to comply with the little girls request.  
  
"Sure thing chica," Ron replied. He reached down and scooped up the tiny first year into his arms. "You know, this is going to be really hard if you ever decide to grow."  
  
"Don't worry, I don't much think I'll get bigger than this," Astrid laughed. Ron began ascending the stairs to the girls' dorm. About halfway up, the pair heard a grinding noise. The source sounded like it was deep within the stairs. Before either had time to react, the stairs flattened into a stone slide. Ron struggled to run up the slide, but ultimately Astrid's added weight caused them both to catapult backwards down the stairs.  
  
"Bloody hell!" Ron cried. He had landed flat on his back with Astrid's legs pinned under his upper body.  
  
"Get off my hurt ankle, you great dolt!" Astrid squealed. Ron struggled to roll over and away from the little girl.  
  
"Thank you," Astrid mumbled, hands returning protectively to her ankle.  
  
"Who did this?" Hermione asked, turning to face the boys crowded around the fire.  
  
"Not us!" Freed and George chorused. Before they could say anything else, their fiery-red hair morphed into a loud shade of neon green.  
  
"It was you!" Hermione insisted, instantly remembering her Christmas gift from Bill. "Your brother charmed your hair to turn green if you lied about your relative guilt or innocent."  
  
"And you two should take a look in a mirror," Colin giggled.  
  
"Shove it, Creevey," George spat.  
  
"So how did you make the stairs do that? Must say it's a pretty impressive piece of magic!" Hermione said, looking back at the stairs. They were still full in slide form.  
  
"We didn't," Fred said. "We were on our way up to see you and Katie and we accidentally invoked a piece of magic that's been there for who knows how long," Fred looked up at his girlfriend through stormy blue eyes. "Forgive me?"  
  
"I suppose," Hermione laughed. "But how, pray tell, do I get up to my room?" she put her hand on her hip and looked down at her boyfriend and his twin brother. The twins exchanged a particularly nervous glance.  
  
"Well you see, the last time the stairs changed there wasn't as much of a problem when they switched back at dawn," George half said, half coughed. Hermione turned an alarming shade of deep purple.  
  
"DAWN!" she screeched.  
  
"Yes, something like that," Fred admitted. His smile remained plastered on his face as he looked at his girlfriend through eyes pleading for forgiveness.  
  
"We get to have a slumber party!" Astrid squealed. She still sat against the wall at the bottom of the steps turned slide.  
  
"Yeah, it looks like it's me and you, kid," Hermione laughed, glancing over her shoulder at the first year.  
  
"Now that that's settled, we're off to shower!" Fred exclaimed. He jumped to his feet, dropped a kiss on Hermione's lips and tore up the stairs before she could say anything. George shrugged at Hermione before running off after his brother.  
  
"I need sleep. Potions homework first thing in the morning and all," Colin said. He stood up, closed his book and stretched broadly. "Night all." He waved at the three fifth years and Astrid as he walked up the stairs towards his dorm.  
  
"Why don't you guys come to our slumber party too?" Astrid asked, looking from Harry to Ron then to Hermione. Ron shrugged.  
  
"I guess we could," Harry replied, glancing over at Ron.  
  
"I'm the smelly kid in school right now though, be back in a bit." Ron jumped to his feet and rushed the stairs. Harry shrugged at the two girls and chased after him. A good two minutes later, the portrait hole opened and closed as an invisible Harry crept out.  
  
*****  
  
"Popcorn!" Harry exclaimed. He sank onto the couch next to Astrid holding a large bowl on his lap. He grabbed a handful of the fluffy white pieces and popped them into his mouth before passing the bowl onto Astrid. Ron lounged on the floor in front of the fire flat on his back. He had his hands folded on top of the pillow underneath his head and he stared at the ceiling. Hermione curled in her favorite armchair with a large book. Harry pushed a few wisps of his wet hair back off of his forehead.  
  
"So what do you do at a slumber party?" he asked, reaching for another handful of popcorn.  
  
"Talk about girl stuff and giggle a lot," Astrid replied with a tone that clearly said she was not in the mood for giggling. She looked up from the piece of parchment she was scribbling on and glared at Harry.  
  
"Whatcha writing, chica?" Ron asked, looking over at Astrid.  
  
"A letter," Astrid replied, no sound of emotion in her voice.  
  
"To who?" Ron asked.  
  
"Whom Ron, whom," Hermione scolded, without looking up from her book.  
  
"Draco," Astrid shrugged the word off as if it was nothing.  
  
"What are you writing a letter to him for?" Ron practically shouted.  
  
"He is my brother, Ron," Astrid replied. Her left hand still moved furiously across the parchment.  
  
"He's never been nice to you before though," Ron countered.  
  
"Things change. Christmas this year was quite interesting." Astrid's hand stopped and she glanced over the parchment, blowing momentarily on the word at the bottom before folding the parchment. "Now could you tell me if he went towards the Hufflepuff or Slytherin common room after Quidditch practice. I need to know where to send this owl."  
  
"Hufflepuff?" Ron asked.  
  
"He's doing some extra work for one of his classes and Dumbledore has provided him a separate workspace rather in the direction of the Hufflepuff common room," Astrid explained.  
  
"Actually, I'm not sure exactly which way he went," Harry said. "Sanguinis asked him to stay after for a bit, so we left them both down at the field." Astrid shrugged and glanced over at Ron.  
  
"Can I borrow your owl?" she asked.  
  
"To send to Malfoy?" Ron asked. "I think not."  
  
"Malfoy would murder Pig," Hermione said. She whistled sharply and Sebastian appeared at the top of the stairs leading to the girls' dorm. "You can use Sebastian."  
  
"That owl looks like Adonis," Astrid said as Sebastian came to a graceful rest on Hermione's shoulder.  
  
"Adonis?" Hermione and Harry chorused. Astrid shrugged.  
  
"Draco's owl. He named it when he was 10," she laughed.  
  
"Very typically Malfoy," Hermione muttered, shaking her head.  
  
"So what changed over Christmas?" Ron asked as Hermione attached Astrid's letter to Sebastian's leg.  
  
"Well, Finley died. I guess you all heard about that," Astrid began.  
  
"We did," Hermione cut in.  
  
"I really shouldn't be telling you this, I mean, none of you are exactly first in the potential best friend for Draco Malfoy line," Astrid said, staring off into the fire.  
  
"Astrid, I, more than just about anyone, understand that family is the only thing stronger than a head lock," Ron began.  
  
"And if part of yours has started to be less of a bastard, then we don't mind hearing about it and certainly won't hold it against him," Harry finished.  
  
"Although I wouldn't mind putting him in a headlock," Ron muttered. Astrid glared reproachfully at her older friend.  
  
"So Finley died. As you could tell, Draco had to read at her funeral," Astrid began her story again. She took a deep breath before plowing onward. "Keiran made a couple of nasty comments about the whole matter and Lucius has a general no emotion policy. All of that built up and paired with the fact that Finley's murder happened on what should have been Barrett's eighth birthday threw Draco for a proverbial emotional loop."  
  
"And this affects his attitude towards you how?" Ron queried.  
  
"I think the idea of losing Finley on Barrett's birthday made him want to spend time with the sisters he has left or something," Astrid replied. "He actually came in Emma's room on Christmas morning and opened presents with us," the tiny girl drew her pajama covered knees towards her chest and looked at her friends.  
  
"I take it he was close to Barrett?" Hermione assumed. She had abandoned her book in favor of listening to Astrid's story.  
  
"Does Draco seem like the type of person who would take orders from anyone?" Astrid asked. Ron shook his head while Harry shrugged and popped more popcorn in his mouth at the same time.  
  
"No," Hermione answered for the trio.  
  
"Well, Barrett had Draco twisted around her little finger so tightly that I'm fully surprised he could breathe. Draco and Little Bear were inseparable. He was her hero and in turn, he adored her."  
  
"Doesn't seem very Malfoyish to me," came Ron's off-handed comment.  
  
"Draco's not always been a complete prick," Astrid countered. Ron snorted and laughed and rolled over on his stomach. He rested his elbows on the floor and his chin on his hands.  
  
"What changed him?" Ron challenged, blue eyes flashing.  
  
"Something about being forced to watch his baby sister murdered on the night of his 11th birthday would have a tendency to do that to a person, don't you think?" Astrid raised an eyebrow at Ron and gulped down the sob crawling up her throat. Ron's face went ashen, freckles standing out brightly. Harry's green eyes flashed over to the girl. Hermione ran her fingers through her already frazzled hair.  
  
"He had to watch?" Harry asked quietly.  
  
"What were the circumstances surrounding the murder?" Hermione questioned at the same time. Astrid swallowed hard and hugged her knees tighter. She took a deep albeit shaky breath before beginning her story.  
  
&&&&&  
  
"Thank you, Lucius, for bringing your son into my service," Voldemort's hissing voice slid smoothly from the mouth in the back of Quirrell's head. Draco looked from his father to the man with the cat-like red eyes and no nose standing in front of them both.  
  
"I willingly bring him in hopes he will make a suitable heir to help restore you to the power you deserve." Lucius's speech sounded recited. He dropped to one knee and brushed a kiss across Quirrell's knuckles.  
  
"Shall we begin the initiation ceremony then?" Voldemort hissed.  
  
"As you wish, my lord," Lucius replied, returning to his feet. He turned to Draco and placed his hand on the boys shoulder. "Are you ready?"  
  
"Yes father," Draco lied. He tried to stand up straighter and adjusted his dress robes so they fell straight.  
  
"Very good, boy," Voldemort said. Quirrell rolled the sleeve of his robe and pressed a finger to part of the elaborate dark mark burnt into his skin. The lowest extremity of he mark burned dark black. Lucius winced and grabbed his own arm. Moments later, five pops sounded and five more people stood in the dungeon where Quirrell, Lucius and Draco all stood.  
  
"What's going on?" One of the men asked.  
  
"I felt the mark burn," came another voice. Quirrell turned so the five men could see Voldemort's face.  
  
"Yes men, you did feel my call. As members of my inner circle, the six of you have been asked here to assist in installing young Master Malfoy as my heir," Voldemort hissed. The Death Eaters didn't question their leader. Instead, they moved to form a circle around Draco. Voldemort/Quirrell stood with Voldemort's face towards Draco. Lucius stood directly behind Draco, also facing Voldemort.  
  
"Draco Argentum Lucentio Malfoy," Voldemort began. Draco looked quite unsure of whether to correct the dark Lord. He decided against it. Lucius spoke.  
  
"Narcissa decided that was too much name for a baby," Lucius said. "She named him Draco Cullen Malfoy instead." Draco cringed involuntarily when his father corrected Voldemort.  
  
"You allowed her?" Voldemort asked.  
  
"I wasn't present for his birth so he had been named before I could do anything about it," Lucius explained.  
  
"Very well then," Voldemort replied. He looked down at Draco again. Draco attempted not to cower in the Dark Lord's gaze.  
  
"Draco Cullen Malfoy," Voldemort began again. His gaze on the boy hardened. "Has your father fully explained what will be asked of you, my heir?"  
  
"Yes my lord," Draco's words came just as Lucius had instructed him. Quirrell turned to face Draco. He held out his hand to the eleven-year-old.  
  
"Come here, boy," Voldemort's voice issued from the back of Quirrell's head. Draco felt compelled to close the space between himself and his future professor. He stood completely motionless before the man. Quirrell placed his palm on Draco's forehead, spreading his fingers along the boy's carefully gelled hair. Quirrell closed his eyes and almost instantly Draco felt as though a herd of Cornish Pixies was running amok in his brain. Visions of himself and his siblings poured forth. A tiny girl with curly hair and unusually large, abnormally brown eyes dominated most. Malfoy's didn't have brown eyes. At least, that had been Lucius's only comment at the first wide-eyed look he'd received from his youngest daughter and only brown-eyed child.  
  
Quirrell pulled his hand away form Draco's forehead and stepped back from the boy.  
  
"You lie," Voldemort hissed. Quirrell pointed an accusing finger at the boy. Draco carefully schooled his features into perfect passivity. Voldemort continued.  
  
"You can only be willing to die for one master and I'm not the only one. Pity though, you would have made a fantastic heir. You're a truly powerful wizard and you already have a great understanding of pureblood superiority." Draco remained silent as Voldemort proceeded with his rambling. "I guess I should eliminate my competition so eventually you'll be a faithful death Eater." With that, Voldemort disapparated. A single thought ripped through Draco's head.  
  
"BARRETT!" Draco turned on his heel and tore from the room, hoping he could make it to the nursery before Quirrell/Voldemort but at the same time, knowing he wouldn't. He jumped into a secret passage next to his piano room and ran as hard as he could towards the other end. Gasping for breath and mentally berating himself for being so slow, he tripped into the hallway next to his mother's study. Immediately, he jumped into another passageway leading towards the girls' nursery.  
  
"Barrett." The name became a silent mantra as Draco raced along the passageway. He didn't know what he would do, other than save his baby sister. He jumped through the tapestry at the other end of the painting and tore towards the last door on the left side of the hall. He spun into the room to see his baby sister, favorite toy doll clutched in her arms, seated in the middle of the floor staring wide-eyed at a wormy looking figure in the corner.  
  
"Barrett!" Draco shouted, diving for the three-year-old. Her little head snapped towards him.  
  
"Dra-" the rest of the word never escaped her thin pink lips.  
  
"Avada Kedavara," Quirrell muttered almost carelessly. The green light hit the girl just before Draco reached her. Draco fell to his knees next to the lifeless form of his baby sister. He gathered her tiny body into his arms and tried to avoid looking at the wide, no longer sparkling, unusual brown eyes. He rocked her back and forth and attempted to blink back the tears threatening to spill from his own silver-grey eyes.  
  
"DRACO!" the harsh bark of his father's voice issued form the doorway.  
  
"He killed her," Draco said evenly. He didn't take his eyes off the man in front of him. Two tears finally spilled down his porcelain cheeks and splashed into Barrett's white-blonde curls.  
  
"Yes," Voldemort hissed. Quirrell twirled his wand and pointed it at Draco. "You are weaker than I originally suspected. You'll never do as a Death Eater. Ava-"  
  
"Wait!" Lucius barked from the door.  
  
"Yes?" Voldemort asked, stopping mid curse and turning to look at Lucius.  
  
"I have another son. If you find him a suitable heir, will you spare Draco?"  
  
"Why?" Voldemort asked.  
  
"Because he is powerful and I believe with a year, I will be able to reform him to the point that he will be a suitable servant by the time he is 18," Lucius bargained.  
  
"Let us go to your other son," Voldemort hissed. "And for interrupting, Crucio." Lucius crumpled to the floor in the throes of the curse. Quirrell walked purposefully out of the room. The five still- standing Death Eaters followed him. Suddenly the curse lifted from Lucius and the man stumbled to his feet and headed after his associates. He stopped in the doorway and turned back to his son. Despite his weakened state, the force that his black, steel toed, dragon hide boots connected with Draco's side was enough to sling the boy into the cold stone wall of Barrett's nursery.  
  
&&&&&  
  
"So that's pretty much how it went," Astrid explained. Hermione brushed a tear from her left eye. Ron looked at Astrid, open-mouthed and speechless. Harry scratched his head with one hand and scooped up more popcorn with the other.  
  
"Wouldn't an experience like that cause someone to turn farther from whatever?" the popcorn paused halfway between the bowl and Harry's mouth.  
  
"Oh, I don't know," Astrid shrugged. "Lucius's cane and wand are pretty powerful methods of persuasion."  
  
"He beat Malfoy?" Hermione asked, voice barely above a whisper.  
  
"We didn't see him for a full two weeks after his eleventh birthday," Astrid said. "When he finally came out of his room, he emerged as the heartless bastard he's been ever since. He would hardly speak to me and Emma but spent a lot of time in father's library with Keiran."  
  
"So do you think he's chanced for good?" Ron queried. "I mean this time." Astrid shrugged, reaching for a bit of Harry's popcorn.  
  
"Luicus has been indoctrinating him since he was born. I seriously doubt anyone but me or Emma will realize he may be changing at all," Astrid popped the popcorn in her mouth.  
  
"The offer for the headlock still stands," Ron mumbled. His opinion of Malfoy hadn't changed at all.  
  
"So wait, what about Keiran?" Harry asked, flinging a bit of popcorn at Ron.  
  
"He took Draco's place as Voldemort's heir," Astrid replied, almost nonchalantly. "He's been evil ever since he accidentally hung our cat when he was three and decided it was more funny than sad. Voldemort found him perfectly acceptable." Ron snorted back a laugh.  
  
"Voldemort has a heir?" Hermione asked, tugging nervously at a strand of her frizzy hair. Astrid nodded solemnly.  
  
"Yes. None other than my own twin brother." Astrid paused for a moment. "And before your sixth Gryffindor sense of all that is good and noble kicks in, yes, Dumbledore knows. Does this explain my insistence on being in Gryffindor?"  
  
"Perfectly," Hermione and Ron agreed.  
  
"Good then, I'm going to sleep," Astrid announced. She promptly rested her head on the armrest and tucked her feet under Harry's leg. She closed her eyes and folded her hands under her cheek. Hermione picked up her book and resumed reading. Ron stared off into the fire. Harry began a careful examination of each individual kernel of popcorn before placing them in his mouth.  
  
"Astrid?" Harry asked, after quite a bit of silence. The little girl didn't respond.  
  
"She's asleep," Ron replied, looking over at the first year. Hermione pulled out her wand and muttered a quick spell in Astrid's direction. Both of the boys looked at her, quizzical looks on their faces.  
  
"She won't be able to hear us if we're getting ready to talk about what I think we're getting ready to talk about, but it only tunes out conversation about Keiran and such" Hermione explained.  
  
"What are we getting ready to talk about?" Ron joked. Harry and Hermione both glared at him.  
  
"I thought you had to be a Malfoy to do that right," Ron muttered.  
  
"Astrid taught us," Harry spat.  
  
"So what do you guys think of this news about Keiran?" Hermione asked.  
  
"It certainly explains my dreams," Harry replied through a mouthful of popcorn.  
  
"Shouldn't that be empty by now?" Ron asked, eyeing the blue bowl perched in Harry's lap.  
  
"Dobby charmed it," Harry offered by way of explanation. Ron nodded and dropped his face back into his pillow.  
  
"Attention to the subject at hand please boys," Hermione insisted.  
  
"Yes McGonagall," Ron muttered.  
  
"So it explains my dreams," Harry continued, "And I guess I trust Dumbledore, although I do question the logic of letting Voldemort's heir into school."  
  
"Why does he even need a heir?" Ron asked. "That shoots the immortality theory to shit."  
  
"Do you remember the tests I did?" Hermione asked.  
  
"The one's where Harry blew up the magic meter?" Ron questioned.  
  
"Yes," Hermione replied. She turned on her side and rested her head on the armrest. She kicked her feet over the other armrest and stared at the ceiling.  
  
"Do those results have anything to do with Voldemort's heir?" Harry guessed.  
  
"I don't know," Hermione began.  
  
"But you have a theory so go ahead and spill it," Ron joked. Hermione glared at him from her perch in the chair before continuing with her theory.  
  
"So there are innate magical capacities imbued in siblings," Hermione began.  
  
"WOAH!" Ron shouted.  
  
"What?" Hermione asked. Ron rolled over onto his back and looked up at his friend.  
  
"Cough up that dictionary you ate for breakfast and speak real English here," Ron instructed. Hermione shot a withering glance at Ron before rephrasing her sentence.  
  
"Brothers and sisters are more powerful when they're close to each other. It stands to reason that you-know-who draws power from Keiran. Little Malfoy must have gone through some spells and rites and such that make him more directly tied to you-know-who than even his own twin," Hermione explained.  
  
"It does," Harry agreed. "But why would the most powerful wizard this side of Dumbledore need to draw power from an eleven year old boy?"  
  
"Good point," Hermione said.  
  
"So Keiran is You-Know-Who's heir. Suppose You-Know-Who is drawing power from Keiran. Does that mean he's indirectly drawing from Astrid too?" Ron questioned.  
  
"Why?" Harry asked.  
  
"They ARE twins, and Fred and George have more of a tie to each other than they do to any of us, or that any of us do to each other," Ron explained. He ran his fingers through his red hair, making it stand wildly on end.  
  
"It does stand to reason," Hermione agreed. She chewed nervously on her bottom lip.  
  
"So what if the Malfoy twins are telepathic and Keiran is sucking information about Harry from Astrid without Astrid realizing it?" Ron asked. Harry shrugged and turned his popcorn bowl upside down.  
  
"It's empty," he announced.  
  
"Harry man, be serious! We're talking about your future here!" Ron cried.  
  
"What's there to talk about?" Harry shrugged. " I've fought the bad man four times already. I'll inevitably have to face him a fifth time and when I do one of us will win. The other will very likely end up dead. It's just the way things work." Harry explained his possible death as simply as Flitwick would explain a levitating charm.  
  
"Harry!" Hermione gasped.  
  
"What?" Harry asked, turning innocently jaded green eyes on his best friend. "You have to admit that I'm probably right about it. I've come to accept it, you should too."  
  
"Harry," Hermione said again.  
  
"I've been lucky four times," Harry said. "If my luck holds out for a fifth try, then so be it, we win. If not. Well. Life goes on, right?"  
  
"HARRY!" Hermione's statement came a third time.  
  
"All I'm saying is you need to be prepared, but don't let it worry you," Harry continued.  
  
"How could it not worry us?" Ron asked. "Especially now that we've got You-Know-Who junior's twin living in our midst!"  
  
"We've just got to get prepared. Hopefully when chance number five comes, I'll be able to rely more on skill and less on luck," Harry said. He looked at the empty popcorn bowl again, before meeting the serious gazes of his two best friends.  
  
"I'll go to the library," Hermione offered.  
  
"I was hoping you'd say that," Harry laughed.  
  
"Did you expect her to offer anything different?" Ron muttered.  
  
"No really," Harry said. "I've come up with an idea that could very well help us all when that day comes."  
  
"What is it?" Hermione looked positively elated at the prospect of research.  
  
"I think it's time we take a page out of the Marauder's book," Harry began to explain.  
  
"Kill Snape?" Ron brightened at that thought.  
  
"Not quite," Harry replied. "I was thinking more along the lines of the Marauders greatest bit of mischief ever."  
  
"I thought that was the attempted murder bit," Ron joked.  
  
"Not quite," Harry spat.  
  
"Animagi!" Hermione cried.  
  
"KEEP YOUR VOICE DOWN!" Harry hissed. "But yes, Hermione's on the right page."  
  
"Shouldn't we go to Dumbledore?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Yes," Harry replied. He looked directly at the girl. "And have to have ourselves bloody registered. Then we can send Voldemort an express owl saying by the way, the light has three new weapons in their arsenal."  
  
"Four," muttered a sleepy voice from the end of the couch. Three heads snapped directly to Astrid.  
  
"You think I'm letting you get away with that and not letting me in on it? I think not! I shall tell every professor I know what the three of you are up to," Astrid said, pulling herself into a sitting position on her end of the couch.  
  
"When did you wake up?" Ron asked suspiciously.  
  
"When Hermione started squealing like a banshee," Astrid explained. Hermione shot the boys looks that assured them Astrid had heard nothing of the previous conversations.  
  
"Okay, so I see the point of being illegal animagi, but can't we get like Azkaban time if we're found out?" Hermione asked.  
  
"By the time we're found out, I'm fairly certain we'll be in the midst of an all out-war. Little things like that tend to get overlooked in wartime so they'll probably just register us," Astrid yawned.  
  
"The girl has a point," Ron said, nodding at Astrid. Astrid smirked at the fifth year.  
  
"Of course I do. I'm a Malfoy. Our family's motto is 'it's only illegal when you get caught.' Some have shortened it to simply 'don't get caught'," she shrugged at her friends.  
  
"So will you research it for us?" Harry asked, looking hopefully at Hermione. Hermione considered her options for a moment.  
  
"Certainly," she replied quietly. Astrid pulled out her wand a muttered a spell. A moment later she caught a thin white card in her hand a flipped it to Hermione.  
  
"You may need this," she said. Hermione looked down at the card in her hand. The label on it said "Restricted Section Access. Year Pass." Professor Binns signature graced the bottom of the pass.  
  
"How did you get this?" Hermione asked, turning the card over and over in her hand to assure that it was official.  
  
"Jason, Sawyer and I all have them. I transfigured them to look like permission slips that he needed to sign so we could miss class one day. When I turned them back, his signature stayed, we got out of class and now we've got restricted section access," Astrid explained. "He never figured it out."  
  
"Why?" Hermione asked, slipping the card into her pocket.  
  
"Mainly to see if I could," Astrid shrugged. Hermione shook her head in disbelief at the first year.  
  
"And I see the sixth Gryffindor sense kicking in again. If you tell on me about the library pass, I shall rat out your Animagi project," Astrid smiled.  
  
"That's blackmail!" Ron screeched.  
  
"Beautiful isn't it?" Astrid asked with her brother's smirk plastered on her face.  
  
"You really are a Malfoy," Harry shook her head at the first year.  
  
"And you've rendered the three of us completely ineffective as prefects," Hermione muttered.  
  
"Oh don't worry," Astrid said. "I'm not that evil. You three are still my friends, so I don't expect to get by with everything. That would make people ask questions. Immunity on most things would be nice though."  
  
"We don't have much choice now do we?" Ron asked, glaring at the first year.  
  
"I suppose you don't," Astrid laughed.  
  
"You let her by with everything anyway," Harry said, glaring at the taller boy in the floor. Ron shrugged and tried to smooth down his hair.  
  
"I don't want to turn into Percy," came his only explanation.  
  
"If you three are fully through your devious plotting for the night, I think we should probably sleep," Astrid suggested.  
  
"You're right," Hermione agreed. The boys shrugged. Hermione slid to the floor and stretched out perpendicular to Ron. Astrid slid back down and curled up into her corner of the couch. Harry slid into the other. He only took up half of the couch, with his knees pulled fully up to his chin.  
  
"That can't be comfortable," Hermione said when she noticed Harry.  
  
"I lived in a broom closet for well over two thirds of my life. This is perfectly comfortable," Harry replied. He pulled his glasses off and placed them in the floor next to him. Hermione turned to glance at Ron, but the red head had already closed his eyes and was fast on his way to sleeping. She turned back to Harry only to find that he, too, had closed his eyes. She put a dimming spell on the light of the fire and lay perfectly still. Eventually she heard two different patterns of even breathing coming from Harry and Astrid's couch and light snores coming from Ron's direction. She quietly pulled her wand out of her pocket and pointed it at her hand. A muttered spell later and she held a tiny blue fire in the palm of her hand. She held it out in front of her like a torch and crept towards Harry and Astrid's couch. Harry still rested perfectly in the fetal position on his end. Astrid had kicked her right leg up to rest on Harry's feet. Her left foot crossed onto her right knee in what had to be the most uncomfortable sleeping position Hermione thought she had ever seen. The girl's lower body lay evenly on the couch while her upper body was turned to her left side. Both of her hands were clutched under her head. She didn't seem fazed at all by the contortion of her body.  
  
"Perfect," Hermione muttered. While Astrid's back would probably hurt in the morning, her position couldn't be any more perfect for what Hermione was getting ready to do. The older witch pointed her wand directly at the girls left ankle. The inside, specifically where the hotspot had been earlier, slid into view as Hermione used her wand to nudge the bottom of the girls robe a few inches out of the way.  
  
"Finite incantatem," Hermione muttered. Slowly the pale peachish pink of Astrid's skin faded away to reveal a series of dark black marks. Hermione looked closer at the marks and realized they formed a tattoo of sorts. An ornately filigreed sword pointed directly towards Astrid's heel. The blade displayed the words Ab Caedis, Divinitas. The handle of the blade was decorated with a crown of roses. Hermione cast another quick spell and the sword was coated in a thick black residue.  
  
"Thank Merlin for Lavender, Parvati and their makeup spells," Hermione thought as she directed the layer of mascara off of Astrid's leg and over to a piece of scrap parchment. She made the mascara land on the parchment and then muttered a few quick spells to clean up Astrid's leg and re-conceal the tattoo. The readjusted the girls robe and moved back over to her spot in the floor below her chair. Placing the tiny blue flames on her shoulder, she picked up the piece of parchment and looked at it. She quickly summoned her journal from its hiding spot in the room and opened the book. She flipped to an empty page and pressed the tattoo imprint to it. After a few spells to make the mascara permanent, she pulled the first parchment away from the book page. All traces of the tattoo had transferred to Hermione's journal.  
  
"Go to sleep! The books will still be there in the morning!" Harry hissed. Hermione jumped, quite startled by his interruption. She quickly hissed at the fire on her shoulder to go out and curled up in the floor right against her chair.  
  
"Goodnight Harry," she whispered.  
  
"Night 'Mione," he mumbled.  
  
*****  
  
"So why were you creeping about after you were supposed to be asleep last night?" Harry hissed to Hermione just before Defense the next morning. It was the first time the friends had been able to talk, Astrid-free, since the night before. Hermione pulled her journal out of her bag and held both covers. This action activated the charms and allowed the book to fall open in her hands. She leafed through the pages until she came to the mascara made imprint of what she found on Astrid's leg. She tilted the book towards Harry so he could see.  
  
"Don't touch," she reminded him, "It'll snap closed."  
  
"What is that?" he questioned, looking at the flower-crowned sword.  
  
"I found it," Hermione began.  
  
"Good Morning Class!" Dumbledore cut Hermione off mid sentence. Hermione shrugged. Harry tapped a finger lightly against the cover of the book. It slammed shut and Hermione slipped the thin volume back into her bag.  
  
"Today we will begin our study of magical iconography as it relates to the Dark Arts," Dumbledore announced. He adjusted the sleeves of his sun covered royal blue robe around his bony wrists before he continued. "You will continue with a study of magical iconography through time this afternoon in History of Magic." Lavender tentatively raised her hand.  
  
"Yes Miss Brown?"  
  
"If you would please sir, stop speaking Hermione and define iconography for the rest of us," Lavender instructed. Dumbledore chuckled lightly s Hermione turned a shade of red more typically found on Ron's face.  
  
"Iconography, more simply defined, is the group of symbols used to represent objects or ideas typical to a particular culture or group of people," Dumbledore explained. He removed his hat from his head and hung it on the back of his chair, smoothing his fluffy white hair with bony fingers.  
  
"So how does that relate to this class?" Parvati queried.  
  
"Wait!" Harry finally clued into Dumbledore's subject matter for the class. 'You mean magical iconography as in the Dark Mark!"  
  
"Exactly," Dumbledore exclaimed, clapping his hands together twice.  
  
"What is there to know about the Dark Mark? I thought it was a skull with a snake for the tongue and that was it," Dean said. He tucked a stray dread lock behind his left ear and looked at Dumbledore through innocent chocolate eyes.  
  
"Simply a skull with a snake for the tongue?" Dumbledore echoed. He pointed a long finger at the board. An exact replica of the figure Dean described appeared on the board.  
  
"So what would your reaction to seeing this mark be?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"Where?" Neville replied.  
  
"Floating in the air above your house," Dumbledore offered with only a moment's consideration.  
  
"HOLY SH-COOKIE DOUGH!" Seamus cried.  
  
"Or something to that effect," Dean muttered.  
  
"Cookie dough?" Parvati and Lavender chorused.  
  
"Well he couldn't exactly say what he really thought now could he?" Dean asked, looking at the girls.  
  
"Holy cookie dough is quite a fine expletive," Dumbledore said, nodding at Seamus. "Now what would your reaction be if you saw the mark on the arm of a person?"  
  
"I'm sticking with the cookie dough," Seamus laughed. Dean, Neville, Parvati and Lavender nodded in agreement. Harry shook his head in opposition to their remark, while Ron and Hermione simply looked at him.  
  
"It would depend on the situation," Harry offered.  
  
"And on the person wearing the dark mark," Ron added.  
  
"And the number of people wearing the dark mark versus the number of people not wearing the dark mark," Hermione said.  
  
"And the amount of danger my actions would put those around me in," came Harry's next comment.  
  
"Say you outnumbered the death eaters, they were all bad death eaters, and they weren't out to kill, just harm," Dumbledore came up with a hypothetical situation.  
  
"Grabbing Hermione's cousin and beating the sh-cookie dough out of the nearest one worked rather well," Ron said with a goofy grin on his face.  
  
"Wait, did you beat the Death Eater with her cousin?" Neville asked.  
  
"Isn't this hypothetical?" Lavender queried.  
  
"Now who is talking Hermione?" Dean flashed a grin at Lavender. Lavender glared at the boy.  
  
"The tree thing worked rather well, until he apparated," Hermione muttered. Dumbledore raised his hand, commanding silence from the class. Instantly all eight heads turned to look at him,  
  
"It seems as though Hermione, Harry and Ron have the true measure of what it takes to be a Gryffindor," Dumbledore said.  
  
"Would you expect anything else from the three musketeers?" Seamus muttered. Ron and Hermione glared at him, but Harry was fully relieved that he didn't make any comments about the boy who lived.  
  
"I would listen to them if I were you," Neville bravely spoke up, looking at his four remaining classmates. "They've lived what we've only heard about."  
  
"Neville, it's really not that big of a deal," Ron insisted, blushing a deep crimson. "I mean, we only fought in one attack and that one was a distraction to keep the people that count away from the real deal."  
  
"Don't discredit what you did over Christmas, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore said, smiling benevolently down at the boy. "There is a Death Eater in Azkaban now thanks to you and Mr. Granger."  
  
"Great," Ron muttered. "Simply one more thing I have to worry about. If they ever pull a Sirius, there will be an angry Death Eater after me."  
  
"Oh it's not so bad," Harry loftily joked. Dumbledore raised his hand for silence again. Then he pointed towards the figure on the board. The handle of a sword slowly grew from the top of the skull.  
  
"What would you have if you saw that?" Dumbledore asked. The class remained silent. Hermione's hand even remained in her lap.  
  
"FINALLY!" Seamus screeched. Everyone looked at him quizzically. "Hermione doesn't know the answer," he muttered sheepishly. The rest of the class and even Dumbledore laughed appreciatively.  
  
"Does anyone have a guess?" Dumbledore questioned after the laughter subsided. Hermione tentatively raised her hand to just about her shoulder.  
  
"Figures," Seamus muttered to the top of his table.  
  
"Yes Miss Granger?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"Would it be a different level of Death Eater? Like the army has different levels of soldiers and such?" Hermione guessed. She sounded quite apprehensive about her answer, and as soon as the guess passed through her lips, she caught her bottom lip in her teeth.  
  
"Exactly!" Dumbledore said, casting another benevolent smile at the girl.  
  
"So wait," Lavender paused, gathering her thoughts. "You mean some Death Eaters are worse than the others?"  
  
"Does anyone have an answer for that?" Dumbledore looked to Harry, Ron and Hermione. Harry and Hermione looked absolutely stumped, but the thoughts running through Ron's head were practically visible.  
  
"It's sort of like this Lavender," he began. "Think back to when you were like seven." Lavender nodded at the red head. "Now imagine Harry and me as Dark Wizards, just so I don't have to, you know, mention any names or anything."  
  
"Get to your point Ron," Hermione said, tapping the redhead lightly on his arm.  
  
"So when you were seven, and supposing we were out to get you, would you have rather met me or Harry somewhere without your parents?" Ron finally finished his analogy.  
  
"Part of me says you, because I don't know you and I'd always heard stories about Harry, but the other part says Harry because I had heard of him," Lavender replied. "But the thought of you or Harry as Dark Wizards is preposterous."  
  
"Hermione," Dean coughed. Lavender glared at him.  
  
"Would you rather meet Voldemort or Lucius Malfoy?" Harry questioned. Every set of eyes in the room widened at Harry's use of Voldemort's name.  
  
"Fear of a name only increases fear of the object itself," Harry and Dumbledore recited at the exact same time.  
  
"Malfoy," Neville squeaked.  
  
"Definitely Malfoy," Parvati agreed.  
  
"And would you rather meet Lucius Malfoy or Goyle's father?" Harry questioned.  
  
"Goyle's father!" Dean and Seamus chorused.  
  
"So, supposing Lucius Malfoy and Goyle's father are death eaters, it stands to reason that Malfoy has one of those Dark Marks, while Goyle's looks more like the first," Harry explained.  
  
"I tried," Ron shrugged.  
  
"Perfect," Dumbledore said. "10 points to Gryffindor."  
  
"I of course am not implying that Lucius Malfoy or Goyle's father are death eaters," Harry quickly added. The amount of snorts and eye rolls that passed over the class was enough to let Harry quickly know that everyone suspected anyway. Dumbledore pointed at the figure again and again the figure morphed. This time, a crown of flowers appeared around the handle of the sword.  
  
"What about this one?" Dumbledore asked. "As the last one, we think, is the mark of those Death Eaters in Voldemort's inner ring." Hermione's jaw dropped, her eyes widened, and she punched Harry in his knee twice. His hands immediately flew to his knee and he glared at her. She had the look on her face that told everyone her next destination was the library.  
  
"Wait till class is over, then you can skive off History of Magic and go to the library," Harry whispered, not figuring out what Hermione was so excited about.  
  
"Would it be for you-know-who's favorite Death Eater?" Neville squeaked.  
  
"As far as we can tell, you could equate it to that," Dumbledore replied.  
  
"So let me get this straight," Seamus began. "The first one is 'oh cookie dough,' the second is 'holy cookie dough,' and the third goes right past cookie dough into things that would loose Gryffindor points."  
  
"Right you are, Mr. Finnegan," Dumbledore said. Another quick point at the board and two skeletons appeared crossed below the large skull.  
  
"There is only one more logical step up," Dean said.  
  
"And what would that be, Mr. Thomas?" Dumbledore questioned.  
  
"If you see the one person that supposedly has that, it's holy things that would loose Gryffindor points. Only you'd probably die before you could get all of that out," Dean replied.  
  
"If you're trying to say that this is Voldemort's Dark Mark, then you're correct," Dumbledore said. The majority of the class paled visibly. Hermione's hand shot into the air.  
  
"Are there any more variations of the Dark Mark?" she asked before Dumbledore could even call on her. Dumbledore removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes before returning the glasses to their perch on his nose. He looked down at Hermione and paused a moment longer before answering her question.  
  
"Not that we're aware of at the moment," he finally said.  
  
"So there isn't a level where they have the skull but no snake tongue. And is it still a Dark Mark if there is no skull and is just bits of the other parts?" Hermione rushed through her questions.  
  
"A skull with no snake is the sign of a Death Eater in the process of being initiated," Dumbledore explained. "Any more questions."  
  
"Leave it alone," Harry hissed. He still hadn't exactly clued in on his friends insistence about missing parts of the dark mark, but he obviously saw that she was touching a subject Dumbledore didn't want to cover in class.  
  
"What does Ab Caedis, Divinitas mean?" Hermione questioned.  
  
"Ah yes, Ab Caedis, Divinitas," Dumbledore said. "Some say it is the motto of the Death Eaters."  
  
"What does it mean?" Dean asked.  
  
"From Blood, Power," Dumbledore replied. Looks of uncertainty passed between the members of the class.  
  
"For your homework!" Dumbledore announced. This cured the uncertainty "I want a foot long parchment on Dark Magic Iconography from before this century." The bell diminished the student's groans.  
  
*****  
  
A shadowy figure stopped a lone prefect in the corridor after lunch.  
  
"Listen to me. Directly after your afternoon class, you will go to the Potions dungeon and break into a cupboard." A pair of first years walked past the two boys and looked suspiciously at them before giggling and running off towards the library. The first boy lowered his voice to inaudibility and finished his instructions.  
  
*****  
  
"So what did you figure out?" Ron asked. He and Harry were seated at the chess table in the corner, virtually ignoring the game taking place between them. Hermione rushed in through the portrait hole and directly over to the pair. Her hair was frizzier than ever and she had a smudge of ink on the tip of her nose. She pulled her journal from her bag and flung it open to the page of Astrid's tattoo. She slammed the book down in the middle of the chess board and then laid another open book next to it.  
  
"What's that?" she asked, pointing to a picture in the book.  
  
"It's the Dark Mark of You-Know-Who's favorite death eater," Ron replied, recognizing the symbol that Dumbledore had shown them in class earlier. He picked up his chess case and started placing their pieces back in their individual spots.  
  
"WRONG!" Hermione cried.  
  
"Then what is it?" Ron asked, glaring up at his friend.  
  
"It's Keiran's Dark Mark," Hermione said.  
  
"How do you figure?" Ron asked.  
  
"Because that!" Hermione jabbed her finger down on the picture of the sword in her journal. "I found that on Astrid's ankle last night after you three were all asleep!" Ron's jaw dropped while Harry dragged his fingers across his scar.  
  
"But it makes perfect sense doesn't it? The sword is on Astrid's ankle. Dumbledore shows us this picture the day after Astrid basically tells us, well, you know. And this mark is probably the source of her pain, which usually happens to coincide with Harry's dreams about, well, you know, and his scar itching! And since the well you knows are the same!"  
  
"Well, you know," came a small male voice from just behind Hermione, finishing her explanation. Ron grabbed Hermione's journal. It instantly clamped closed on his hand. Harry slammed the other book shut and stuffed it between himself and the seat of his chair.  
  
"SAWYER!" Hermione exclaimed, more than a little suspiciously.  
  
"Yes, I just caught the three prefects doing something they're probably not supposed to!" Sawyer cheered. "But all I really wanted was to ask if you had seen Jason. He and I have to go meet Mandrake Chelsea and Nathan and Hannah for extra potions help."  
  
"Hannah?" Ron asked.  
  
"She's doing a project for Snape that includes teaching a remedial potions course for first years. Something about reviewing for her O.W.L.S. and learning basic medi-magic potions at the same time," Harry quickly explained.  
  
"Yeah, and she's a much better teacher than Snape!" Sawyer exclaimed. "But don't tell him I said that. He'd probably serve up an order of roast Sawyer for lunch."  
  
*****  
  
The door to Snape's classroom creaked slowly open and a lone fifth year stepped inside. He made his way over to the first cupboard he saw and pried the door open. Paying no attention to the fact that the cabinet was, in fact, unlocked, he surveyed the contents of the shelves. He chose a bottle filled with a murky green liquid from the top row and twisted the top off. The bottle was small, not more than an ounce and a half or two ounces. He glanced at it once more before tipping his head back and pouring the contents down his throat. He grabbed five more bottles from the cabinet, making sure none held the same color liquid. He pulled the stoppers out and lined the bottles up along the nearest lab table. After adding another six opened vials to the line, he poured another in his mouth. Letting the discarded bottle shatter on the floor, he reached for the next two. They quickly followed the first two. Three different ones followed those, and another one after those three. The potions mixing in his stomach immediately had an effect, and he fell to the floor amid broken glass and discarded bottle tops. He reached for one last potion. Before he could tip it down his throat, Draco collapsed, fully unconscious. 


	36. Chapter 36

JKR owns all of these wonderful characters besides Astrid and a few other minor ones. I also own the plot!  
  
Nat rocks, my reviewers rock.  
  
If you want an email notifying of chapter updates and my replies to my reviewers, leave me a review with your email addy listed.  
  
This is all for now, I believe.  
  
*****  
  
"Interrupting," Sawyer began.  
  
"MOO!" Chelsea cried. She clapped her hands as she doubled over with laughter. As she was still walking down the corridor, she nearly staggered into the wall.  
  
"Merlin, Chelsea, that was just about the worst joke I've ever heard!" Sawyer said, rolling his bright blue eyes at the girl.  
  
"I think it's simply fantastic!" Chelsea squealed.  
  
"If you keep that pitch of voice for much longer, there won't be any glass left in the castle!" Sawyer warned. Chelsea shrugged, still giggling occasionally.  
  
"Sawyer!" a voice from just behind the pair screeched. Sawyer and Chelsea stopped ad turned to find Nathan and Jason running towards them.  
  
"We met Hannah on the way down here then she remembered that she forgot something so she told me to tell you guys to go ahead in and get our work out but not to touch anything else," Jason quickly explained.  
  
"Breathe Jase, breathe," Sawyer instructed, motioning his hands towards the floor in a visible instruction for Jason to calm down.  
  
"Got it," Jason gasped, pushing his black hair back off of his flushed red forehead.  
  
"Shall we go then?" Chelsea asked, nodding towards the opposite end of the corridor.  
  
"Certainly!" Nathan said.  
  
"Hey Nate, I got a joke for you!" Chelsea squealed.  
  
"Don't let her tell it!" Sawyer exclaimed. Chelsea skipped a few steps ahead of the boys and then turned to look at them.  
  
"Okay ready?" Chelsea asked. Nathan nodded and shrugged. The look on his chubby Neville-esque face clearly said he didn't think he had much of a choice.  
  
"Knock knock!" Chelsea proclaimed.  
  
"Who is there?" Nathan muttered.  
  
"Interrupting cow!" Chelsea announced. By this point she was walking fully backwards so she could completely face Nathan, Sawyer and Jason.  
  
"Inter-" Nathan began.  
  
"MOO!" Chelsea, Sawyer and Jason chorused. Chelsea looked from Sawyer to Jason then back to Sawyer.  
  
"No fair!" she cried. Both of the boys shrugged and smiled sheepishly at the Hufflepuff. "Where's Astrid?"  
  
"Astrid quite definitely doesn't have to do special potions," Jason replied.  
  
"You forget she's a Malfoy. That's synonymous with Snape's favorite," Jason added. Chelsea shrugged.  
  
"How do you manage to be the only Hufflepuff in special potions anyway?" Nathan questioned.  
  
"I'm the seventh Hufflepuff," Chelsea replied.  
  
"Not in special potions," Jason countered.  
  
"No!" Chelsea cried. "I'm the seventh Hufflepuff first year, meaning I'm the only one to work with a Gryffindor." Nathan, Sawyer and Jason all stopped dead in their tracks and glared at her. She shrugged at them innocently before prancing into the potions classroom.  
  
"I think it's cause she has to work with me," Nathan said, blowing a gust of air upwards to move his blonde hair from his chubby face.  
  
"Don't tell yourself that," Jason instructed.  
  
"Yeah, she's in special potions because she's brainless," Sawyer added. A shrill scream from the classroom stopped the boys flippant conversation dead.  
  
"What has she done now?" Jason wondered aloud. Sawyer flung the door open and rushed through with Jason and Nathan close on his heels. Chelsea stood in the center of the room facing the students' cupboards. Her face was ashen and she stared at something in the floor, horror frozen on her usually cheerful features. The doors to the first year cupboard were flung open.  
  
"What is it?" Sawyer asked, clambering around a few tables to get to Chelsea.  
  
"I think he drank my potions homework," Chelsea muttered, finally blinking twice at the person in the floor. Jason and Nathan approached either side of her.  
  
"Bloody Hell," Jason muttered. "I think he drank all of our potions homework." The four first years stood at the feet of a black robed figure. The boy lay in the floor, legs bent towards his left. His right hand was pinned under his body, twisting his arm at a gruesome angle. His left still clutched a potions bottle. He lay in a pool of spilled potions, blood, glass, bottle fragments, and corks. The blood and one of the potions had mixed and an eerie purple smoke rose from a puddle around the figures head.  
  
"Bloody hell," Sawyer echoed, "That's Astrid's brother!"  
  
"It is?" Chelsea asked.  
  
"Do you know anyone else with that color hair?" Jason retorted.  
  
"Keiran," Chelsea offered.  
  
"Yeah, and he's a little too big to be Keiran," Jason spat.  
  
"Is he dead?" Chelsea asked. Draco's skin had achieved a mottled blue look in the places that weren't covered in blood. Sawyer nudged Draco's foot with his.  
  
"Don't kick him!" Chelsea cried indignantly.  
  
"I think he drank about nine different potions," Nathan announced. To avoid looking at Draco's body, he had carefully surveyed the contents of the open cupboard. Chelsea's eyes widened and she began viciously pawing through her bag, obviously looking for something.  
  
"Chelsea?" Sawyer ventured to ask.  
  
"A-Ha!" Chelsea cried. She held a small crystal bottle full of liquid up to the light. The top half of the liquid was yellow while the bottom half was blue. She shook the bottle three times and the colors mixed, turning the liquid hot pink.  
  
"It's still good," she announced. "Now guys, I need you to get the upper half of his body in a 45 degree angle to the floor!" Sawyer and Jason looked at Chelsea as though she had just asked them to kiss a Blast Ended Skrewt.  
  
"Don't stand there and look at me like I'm stupid!" Chelsea commanded. "Move him and move him now!" Gone was happy brainless Chelsea and in her place was a defiantly determined girl, possessed with a sense of calm Sawyer and Jason only expected to see from level-headed Astrid, not fanciful Chelsea. "NOW!" Chelsea practically screamed. "And mind his right arm there, it looks rather nasty."  
  
"If he's dead and you're making me touch him, I will never speak to you again," Sawyer threatened as he moved to Draco's right side.  
  
"And if he dies because you're being a git, you'll feel eternally guilty," Chelsea spat.  
  
"Or he'll die at the hands of Lucius Malfoy," Jason joked.  
  
"On the count of three," Sawyer said. "1. 2. 3.!" The two first year boys lifted Draco's arms at the same time. The fifth year's body slowly rose between the pair of tiny first years.  
  
"I can feel the bones in his arm moving!" Sawyers face lost all color.  
  
"Hold him right there," Chelsea instructed. Draco's head snapped directly backwards and his mouth fell open.  
  
"Oh my God," Sawyer mouthed repetitively and silently, as sort of a mantra. Chelsea pulled the stopper from the bottle of potion.  
  
"Don't you think he's had enough potions?" Jason asked. Chelsea tipped the contents of the bottle into Draco's open mouth. The three first years watched the pink liquid bubble out of the bottle. When the bottle emptied, Chelsea removed it from his lips and looked at Jason. She placed her small hand on Draco's throat to try to work the potion down. She couldn't help notice the cool, clammy, almost rubbery texture of his skin.  
  
"Will one more make a difference?" Chelsea finally replied.  
  
"Can we put him down now?" Sawyer asked.  
  
"Slowly!" Chelsea instructed.  
  
"You think maybe we should levitate him out of this glass?" Jason asked. He noticed a small trail of blood running from his own knee where he had slid it on some glass in an attempt to steady Draco.  
  
"What in the world have you guys done?" a familiar voice asked from just inside the potions room door.  
  
"Nothing Hannah, honest!" Chelsea exclaimed, jumping to her feet. "We found him this way!"  
  
"Found who what way?" Hannah asked. She walked towards Chelsea, only to stop dead in her tracks when she saw Draco lying on the floor with Jason and Sawyer crouched to either side of him.  
  
"Bloody Hell!" she cried. "What happened?"  
  
"It looks as though he decided to drink the first year's homework. All of it." Sawyer said, looking at the bottles on the floor to the uncorked full bottles on the table.  
  
"Step aside please," Professor Dumbledore said as he entered the room. He brushed past the fifth year and three first years and stood directly over Draco. He pulled his wand from his pocket and levitated the boy from the glassy mess on the floor onto one of the potions tables. McGonagall swept into the room and over to Dumbledore. He whispered a few directions to her and she turned to the students, who now included Nathan Longbottom standing just inside the door.  
  
"Which of you found him?" she asked. Chelsea timidly raised her hand.  
  
"We were right behind her though," Sawyer added, and Jason nodded.  
  
"Is he alive?" Chelsea asked warily, looking up at McGonagall through wide grey-blue eyes. McGonagall looked over to Dumbledore. The old wizard still stood over Draco's lifeless body, flicking his wand here and there to repair the odd scrape or cut.  
  
"Professor Dumbledore?" McGonagall asked.  
  
"Students, I need to know right now which potions you all have made or studied within the last month," Dumbledore said. Chelsea, Sawyer, Jason and Nathan exchanged a panicked glance.  
  
"A cure for boils," Chelsea slowly began.  
  
"A basic thinning potion," Jason added.  
  
"But Professor Dumbledore, if all of first year is as dismal at potions as I am, then who knows what Malfoy drank!" Nathan exclaimed.  
  
"Nate, if the entire first year was as dismal at potions as you, there would certainly be more than four people in special potions," Sawyer joked.  
  
"Remedial, Mr. Lewis, remedial," Dumbledore corrected.  
  
"What was that stuff you gave him?" Jason asked Chelsea, ignoring Sawyer's attempt at a joke.  
  
"You gave him something else Miss Ramsey?" Professor McGonagall asked, glaring sternly down at the girl. Chelsea nodded very slightly, afraid to admit what she had done.  
  
"Professor Snape made me a small bottle of potion that I was supposed to mix and pour on the accident if Nate did anything particularly disastrous. It's supposed to neutralize the effects of most first year potions. I figured this is worse than anything Nathan could have done, and the accident is in Malfoy's stomach so I poured it down his throat," Chelsea explained in a quiet voice.  
  
"We," Jason corrected, "we poured it down his throat."  
  
"Miss Ramsey, did you ever stop to think that perhaps your potion was not meant to be ingested?" Professor McGonagall queried.  
  
"With all due respect professor, I don't think much of what Malfoy drank was meant to be ingested, but that didn't much stop him," Sawyer piped up. McGonagall sent a glare so fierce at the boy that he took several steps backwards and almost ducked behind Jason.  
  
"Minerva, you may deal with the first years later. Right now we must get Mr. Malfoy to the hospital wing," Dumbledore instructed.  
  
"He's alive?" Chelsea asked, eyes widening at the prospect. Dumbledore nodded solemnly.  
  
"But only just. I do believe your quick thinking is the only thing that saved him. For that, I award Hufflepuff 200 points." Chelsea's face lit up like the blast end of a Skrewt.  
  
"I don't know if I'd call that quick thinking or dumb luck," Jason muttered.  
  
"Ask Mr. Potter about dumb luck one of these days Mr. Black," Dumbledore instructed. "Now Miss Abbott, I need you to walk Chelsea back to the Hufflepuff common room. Put her in Mr. Macmillan and Mr. Finch- Fletchley's direct care. No one is to know about this so explain to Ernie and Justin how important it is for her to keep quiet. Then I want you to go to the Gryffindor common room and collect Astrid Malfoy. Better yet, keep Chelsea with you and after you collect Astrid, bring all five first years to my office." Dumbledore instructed.  
  
"Sir, I don't remember how to get to your office." Hannah said. "Or the Gryffindor common room for that matter."  
  
"Three little Gryffindors right here!" Sawyer exclaimed, waving his hand just above his head.  
  
"Oh, right," Hannah mumbled.  
  
"As for my office, collect Mr. Potter or any of the Misters Weasley from Gryffindor. They can show you the way," Dumbledore instructed with a slight laugh. He flicked his wand and Draco's body slowly levitated off the table.  
  
"Will he be okay Professor Dumbledore?" Chelsea asked as Draco's body floated past her.  
  
"We shall see, Miss Ramsey, only time will tell," Dumbledore said as he and Professor McGonagall followed the floating fifth year from the dungeon.  
  
"This way," Jason said, point towards the door.  
  
"Really now?" Chelsea asked, grinning slightly.  
  
"What are we going to tell little Miss Malfoy?" Sawyer asked, worry evident o his cherubic face.  
  
"The truth?" Jason suggested, leading the tiny procession out of the dungeon. "She's not exactly her brother's biggest fan so it shouldn't be to hard."  
  
"Please be tactful guys," Hannah begged.  
  
"I was thinking of saying something along the lines of 'geeze Astrid, your brother decided to play potions master only he's not really clear on the difference between his cauldron and his stomach so he decided to mix his potions in the latter rather than the former'," Jason offered. Chelsea whacked him on his arm.  
  
"You have the most morbid sense of humor ever!" She cried.  
  
"And Jase, knowing your odd preference for the taste of shoe leather, I wouldn't put it past you," Sawyer joked.  
  
"I only eat my feet when it comes to dead people," Jason replied.  
  
"Morbid!" Chelsea cried, tossing her hands into the air.  
  
"Guys, I know sometimes it's easier to make jokes than to deal with what's really going on," Hannah began.  
  
"Don't worry, Hannie, we'll be on our best behavior," Chelsea promised.  
  
"BLOODY HELL!" Jason cried.  
  
"Jason!" came Hannah and Chelsea's equally surprised exclamations.  
  
"Wait Hannah, you're going to like this bloody hell," Jason assured the older girl. "With Malfoy out cold in the hospital wing, Slytherin's going to have to fly Little Malfoy as their seeker in the Hufflepuff match on Saturday. They also have a brand new chaser, so you guys may actually have a chance!" Hannah's face brightened considerably at the prospect.  
  
"What about the school team thought?" Sawyer asked.  
  
"They're lucky both of their reserves are keepers. They'll probably just fly Ron," Jason replied.  
  
"What about William?" Hannah asked. "I mean, Sanguinis is a bloody good keeper in his own right."  
  
"Yes, but with Malfoy out this close to the match, Wood would be better served to go with the player the rest of the team is most used to, and that's undeniably Ron," Jason explained.  
  
"Guys, the Beauxbatons match is over three weeks away. Maybe Malfoy will be better by then," Chelsea said hopefully.  
  
"If he's not, it'll be great to see the Gryffindor team Kick Beauxbatons' teeth in!" Sawyer exclaimed.  
  
"Although Ginny may get mad if her boyfriend has no teeth," Jason added.  
  
"Why do you think he tried to kill himself anyway?" Nathan asked. The rest of the group walked in momentary silence as they pondered their individual answers.  
  
"Love," Hannah finally spoke up. "His girlfriend died over Christmas and because he couldn't live without her, he decided to try to take his own life." She smiled proudly at the conclusion of her assumption.  
  
"Get real Hannah, this is Draco Malfoy we're talking about. I'm not sure he's capable of love," Jason countered.  
  
"Rebellion then," Hannah tried. "He's not pleased with the path his father has chosen for him so the only way out is death." Sawyer looked up at the older girl.  
  
"Malfoy's president of the Jr. Death Eaters. I seriously don't think he objects to the path his father has chosen," he insisted. Hannah sighed and stared distantly off at the wall.  
  
"It's just nice to imagine that there is a guy out there who would still die for the woman he loves," she admitted.  
  
"But there is!" Jason exclaimed, "And you of all people should know that!"  
  
"There is?" Hannah asked, quite stupidly.  
  
"Yes!" Sawyer insisted. "Kinda tall fellow, messy black hair, green eyes, glasses, scar, somewhat famous super-hero type?"  
  
"Quidditch player," Jason added.  
  
"Dating some girl from Hufflepuff," Sawyer said. The boys smiled innocently up at Hannah.  
  
"Oh yes!" Hannah said, her face turning almost Gryffindor red. "Harry."  
  
"Only Harry wouldn't die because you did, he would die because you were going to," Nathan interjected. Everyone turned to look at Nathan, bewildered looks on their faces.  
  
"Just think about it for a moment," Nathan instructed, and refused to make any further comment on his statement. Hannah finally smiled stupidly, but refrained from saying anything else.  
  
*****  
  
"Back from special potions already?" Astrid giggled, glancing at her two friends as the pair staggered through the portrait hole.  
  
"Yes," Jason said, looking nervously at Sawyer. Sawyer glanced back at Jason.  
  
"That was an awfully quick lesson," Astrid commented, looking back to her book.  
  
"Yep," Sawyer replied. He crossed his arms across his chest and glanced back at Jason. Jason ran his fingers through his black hair and cast his glance to the floor.  
  
"Did you guys get thrown out of special potions or something? What's going on?" Astrid asked. She looked from her book back to her two suspicious looking best friends.  
  
"Get Harry or Ron and come with us," Jason said, smiling triumphantly. Sawyer looked to Jason, eyes wide.  
"What?" Jason mouthed, shrugging at his friend. Sawyer glared at Jason.  
"We were supposed to tell her," Sawyer mouthed.  
"HARRY! RON! HERMIONE!" Astrid screeched.  
"We said Harry or Ron," Sawyer said.  
"And I said I'm bringing all three of them since you two won't tell me what's going on," Astrid replied, glaring at both of her friends.  
  
"What are you yelling about?" Ron asked, approaching the first year's chair from the bottom of the boys' stairs. Harry was close on his heels.  
  
"Where's Hermione?" Astrid asked the two older boys.  
  
"She had a lesson with Madame Pomfrey in the hospital wing," Ron said.  
  
"Doesn't she usually have those during Quidditch practices?" Astrid asked.  
  
"Yes, but she didn't have one yesterday, so they scheduled it for today," Harry explained. Jason swallowed almost audibly. Sawyer looked at the group.  
  
"That's going to be a hospital lesson she'll never forget," he muttered.  
  
"Sawyer!" Astrid began. She looked hopelessly at Sawyer, unsure of his middle name.  
  
"Dare," he hissed.  
  
"SAWYER DARE LEWIS!" Astrid screeched. "Will you please tell me what's going on?"  
  
"We'll talk on the way to Dumbledore's office," Jason said, starting towards the portrait hole.  
  
"What if I say no?" Astrid asked.  
  
"Guys really," Harry said, looking down at Sawyer and Jason. The two first years stopped and turned to face their friend. Sawyer placed his hand on Astrid's shoulder.  
  
"Draco has done something to land himself in the hospital wing." Jason and Astrid's faces both morphed to confusion at Sawyer's use of Draco's first name.  
  
"What's the stupid prick done now?" Astrid asked, raising one eyebrow at her best friend.  
  
"He," Jason began. Sawyer clamped his hand over Jason's mouth.  
  
"He broke into the first year's potions cabinet and drank about nine different potions," Sawyer said. He let his hand drop away from his friend's face.  
  
"I was going to say that!" Jason exclaimed, indignantly. Sawyer rolled his eyes and looked at his friends.  
  
"I don't trust you not to have a craving for feet," he muttered. Astrid struggled to school her features into a characteristically Malfoy emotionless mask. The Draco-silver eyes she looked at Ron and Harry with were filled with pure terror. Ron reached down and brushed a strand of iridescent hair away from her face.  
  
"What are we waiting for?" the fifth year asked. "You said we were supposed to go to Dumbledore's office." Jason and Sawyer both nodded solemnly before turning towards the portrait hole. Astrid, Ron and Harry followed the pair and soon all five joined Nathan, Hannah and Chelsea in the hallway.  
  
"Hannah," Harry said. He held his hand out and Hannah laced her fingers through his.  
  
"How bad is it?" he whispered as Ron and the first years hurried off towards Dumbledore's office.  
  
"He's barely alive," Hannah admitted. "Did the boys do alright telling Astrid?"  
  
"They were perfect," Harry said. "Of course, it was touched with Jason/Sawyer humor, but of course, they're Jason and Sawyer so what would you expect. He's not exactly her favorite person so she seems to be okay."  
  
"I wonder why he did it," Hannah said. Her grip on Harry's hand tightened involuntarily.  
  
"That's a really good question. It seems that suicide would be below Malfoy," Harry replied. He instinctively pulled her closer to him. "Who found him?"  
  
"Chelsea actually, with Jason and Sawyer close behind her. The three of them are actually the reason he's still alive," Hannah explained. Harry looked at her wide-eyed, jaw dropped.  
  
"Yes Harry, really. My special potions class saved Draco Malfoy with their potions knowledge," Hannah said.  
  
"They saved him because they happened to walk in on him, right?" Harry asked.  
  
"Actually, Chelsea dumped a neutralizing potion down his throat that stopped the reactions of the potions in his stomach. Sawyer and Jason held him up so she could." The first years and Ron disappeared around the corner.  
  
"I'm sure it was because they have such a wonderful tutor," Harry said, smiling shyly at Hannah.  
  
"Actually, I'm going with Jason's vote of dumb luck on Chelsea's part," Hannah replied, dropping a quick kiss on Harry's cheek.  
  
"There is a lot to be said for dumb luck," Harry said, leaning in for a proper kiss. Hannah obliged for just a moment before pulling away.  
  
"Funny, Dumbledore seemed to think you'd say that." Harry tried to recapture her lips.  
  
"Not right now doll, one of your best friend's older brothers is lying in the hospital wing fighting for his life. I hardly think this is a time to snog." Harry frowned at his girlfriend, but she paid no heed to his pouting. Instead, she pulled him towards the end of the hall where Astrid, Nathan, Jason, Sawyer and Ron were already walking past a familiar gargoyle.  
  
*****  
  
"Harry man, you're bloody brilliant!" Ron cried. He dumped the heavy bundle of robes onto his bed. Harry instantly went to his closet and started rummaging around in the bottom of it  
  
"This will make us more famous than your brothers!" Harry cried. "If only I could find those fire crackers!" Seamus and Dean quietly got to their feet and crept from the room.  
  
"We'll leave you guys to your illegal activities," Seamus said just before he left the room.  
  
"And we didn't see anything," Dean added. He closed the door behind them.  
  
"Guys!" the door swung open as quickly as it had closed. "Astrid's gone missing and Draco's almost dead!" The bundle of robes on the bed sat up straight on the bed.  
  
"I'm not missing!" it announced.  
  
"Oh," Hermione said, clasping her hands to her mouth. Astrid fought to pull the robes from her head.  
  
"Tell me honestly, how is he?" Astrid asked. "Because I know Dumbledore was sugar coating it, but you were right there." Hermione sat down on the edge of the bed next to Astrid and helped pull the spare robes from the little girl.  
  
"And Dumbledore asked that I tell you the truth when I got back here," Hermione agreed. "Well, I don't know if he mentioned it, but your mum and dad and little sister will be here sometime tonight. As soon as your mum can get your sister from school.  
  
"It's that good?" Astrid asked, wry smile on her tiny face.  
  
"What all do you guys know?" Hermione asked.  
  
"That he drank a bunch of potions, that Chelsea saved him, and that he should be fine," Harry provided.  
  
"Fine in the loosest sense of the word," Hermione countered, looking down at her hands.  
  
"Tell me?" Astrid asked. Hermione held out nine fingers.  
"He drank nine different potions." She curled her left thumb towards her palm. "The boil curing potion basically caused an opening in the lining of his stomach. Just after they brought him in, he began vomiting blood. This is mainly a problem because he is unconscious and therefore at risk for asphyxiation on his own blood." Astrid nodded solemnly. Hermione curled her left pinkie to her palm. "The thinning potion caused his blood and bones to thin to a very dangerous level. Dumbledore seems to think the blood thinning isn't a problem any more. He did some ridiculously complicated spell, but he seems to think that worked." Hermione's left ring finger joined her thumb and pinkie. "He drank a basic jinx blocker potion that has rendered all basic healing spells useless. This is only a problem because Madame Pomfrey and Dumbledore can't give him any healing potions either, so they're having to resort to very complicated, antiquated, or slightly muggle methods."  
  
"Couldn't that be dangerous?" Ron asked.  
  
"Evidently Madame Pomfrey keeps her certifications in Muggle nursing up to date," Hermione shrugged. She folded her left middle finger down.  
  
"What else?" Astrid asked. She had grown so pale her skin looked translucent.  
  
"He took a pain killing potion, that when combined with the jinx blocker killed his sense of touch," Hermione said.  
  
"Will it ever return?" Astrid asked, eyes wide.  
  
"They're not sure," Hermione admitted honestly. She closed her left fist and folded down her right pinkie. "He managed to drink not one but two Chelsea and Nathan cocktails. The potions were so far off that no one is sure what they were originally intended to be."  
  
"What did they do to him?" Astrid questioned quietly.  
  
"It seems as though they reacted with each other after they made it to his kidneys and they solidified," Hermione explained. Astrid, if possible, got paler. "That's not going to be pretty." Hermione shook her head in agreement, while Harry promised a bewildered Ron a later explanation.  
  
"Did he take anything to make him nicer?" Ron muttered. Harry glared at him and Ron shrugged. Luckily Harry was the only one who heard. Hermione folded her right ring and middle fingers to her palm.  
  
"I'm sure Dumbledore told you of Chelsea's bit of heroics. Her potion rendered the other two completely useless. No side effects," Hermione said.  
  
"And the last?" Astrid asked, looking down at Hermione's still extended index finger.  
  
"He took a cleaning potion that, well, I got sent out when the effects of that one started," Hermione admitted, turning slightly red.  
  
"Why?" Ron questioned stupidly.  
  
"The cleaning potion and the intestines," Hermione's sentence trailed off, but Harry caught where she was heading.  
  
"I'll explain later," he assured his friend.  
  
"So basically my older brother is a vegetable," Astrid said, looking down at her own tiny hands. Hermione curled the small girl's hands into hers.  
"Dumbledore and Madame Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall are taking very good care of him. He could very well heal completely," Hermione assured the small girl. She wisely chose not to mention the permanent effects of the boil and thinning potions. Draco would very likely always have an ulcer and easily breakable bones.  
  
"He could die," Astrid whispered down at the clasped hands.  
  
"He could," Hermione agreed. A silent tear trailed down Astrid's cheek, followed by another.  
  
"Why?" Astrid asked. "Why?" Hermione quickly shook Astrid's hands off of hers.  
  
"There is good news!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
"What?" Astrid asked, looking at Hermione through a curtain of tears.  
  
"He didn't try to commit suicide," Hermione announced triumphantly.  
  
"He didn't?" Astrid, Ron and Harry chorused.  
  
"No!" Hermione said. "Dumbledore found the traces of a time-released, more legal imperious on him. Someone tried to kill him and make it look like suicide!"  
  
"That really brightens my day," Astrid mumbled. Tears still fell freely, splashing onto the robes pooled around her knees. Harry and Ron both sank onto the bed next to her. Ron placed a hand on her shoulder while Harry smoothed her silky hair.  
  
"It'll be okay, chica," Ron assured her.  
  
*****  
  
"I can't believe stupid Chelsea saved him," Jason said. He looked at Harry and Ron across the table in the Great Hall.  
  
"Seriously," Sawyer mumbled to his plate.  
  
"Call her stupid all you want, but you guys are stuck with her," Ron insisted.  
  
"Are not!" Sawyer cried indignantly.  
  
"'Fraid so, boys," Harry laughed.  
  
"There are just some things you can't live through without becoming friends," Hermione said, looking from one of her best friends to the other.  
  
"What?" Jason and Sawyer chorused.  
  
"Trust us," Harry insisted.  
  
"We speak from experience," Ron agreed.  
  
*****  
  
"Hey guys, I've got someone you need to meet," a small voice announced before the doors to the Great Hall finished creaking. The fifth years gathered inside turned to look at the small figure who had stepped inside.  
  
"Who is it, Astrid?" Ron asked. He looked up from the chess game he and Justin played. Astrid tugged her arm into the Great Hall. Attached to the other end was a girl about four inches taller than Astrid. She had fluffy blonde hair, identical to Astrid's that hung almost to her waist. Astrid's stopped just below her shoulder blades. The second girl had piercing blue eyes framed by small oval glasses.  
  
"Holy cookie dough, there are two of you!" Harry cried. He and Hannah had been pouring over their Herbology homework. Mandy was situated right next to Ron, paying rapt attention to his game, while Ernie and Hermione had a heated debate over Arithmancy that no one else could follow. Ginny hadn't looked up from her Braeden book since she had sat down at the table.  
  
"Guys, this is my little sister, Emma. She'll be in Gryffindor next year," Astrid said, pushing Emma towards the group. Emma turned and gave Astrid a very direct glare through her light blue eyes. "Or maybe Ravenclaw."  
  
"Go you!" Mandy cheered. Emma smiled shyly at the fifth year.  
  
"Mandy's the group's lone Ravenclaw," Astrid explained. Emma's smile broadened. "So yes, that's Mandy, Ron and Justin on either side of the chess board. I'm sure you can guess which is the Weasley. Hermione's there with the brown hair, and Ernie's next to her. And that's Ginny. Her boyfriend's on the other end of the book, so you'll be lucky to get to talk to her before he goes away. And the one sitting next to Harry is Hannah." Emma turned her smile at the entire gathered group.  
  
"Hello," she basically whispered.  
  
"Heya, Emma," Ernie said enthusiastically. Emma instantly turned pale pink.  
  
"Have you guys gone to see your brother?" Hannah asked. Emma nodded shyly while Astrid shook her head.  
  
"How is he?" Justin asked, enthusiastically. Emma shrugged.  
  
"He looks rather dead," she replied. Hannah shuddered.  
  
"You should have seen him when we found him."  
  
"Hufflepuff might win after all," Justin muttered. Ron reached across the table and whacked Justin's head.  
  
"Not something to say in front of his little sisters, man," Ron reprimanded. Astrid laughed, while Emma looked torn between confusion and glaring at Justin.  
  
"Curfew!" came Snape's booming voice. "Miss Malfoy, you may go see your brother now if a prefect will accompany you. Emma, your parents are requesting your presence back in their rooms." With that, the door snapped shut. Harry and Hannah began saying their goodnights, while Astrid looked hopefully from Ron to Hermione.  
  
"I'll go with you, chica," Ron said. He began putting his chess pieces back in the box. Astrid smiled gratefully at the boy.  
  
"Hannah, kindly remove your tongue from Harry's mouth. There are children present!" Ernie exclaimed. Hannah pulled away from Harry and looked sheepishly at Ernie. She quickly passed the back of her hand across her swollen red lips.  
  
"It's not like I haven't seen it before," Astrid muttered.  
  
"Yes, but I haven't," Emma said. Astrid laughed, while everyone else just looked at the youngest Malfoy. Mandy looked hopefully at Ron.  
  
"Ready to go?" Justin asked, looking from Hannah to Ernie. Ernie nodded, while Hannah gave Harry one more quick hug.  
  
"Goodnight," he whispered in her ear.  
  
"Goodnight," she replied, dropping a chaste kiss on his lips. The Hufflepuff trio turned to their Ravenclaw counter part.  
  
"Ready?" Ernie asked. Mandy shrugged. In the process of standing up, she turned to face Ron. Ron pulled her into a quick hug and pressed a kiss into her hair.  
  
"Goodnight," he said. His face had reached a level of red that threatened imminent explosion. Astrid turned to Emma as the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff delegation trailed out of the Great Hall.  
  
"They snogged at the Yule Ball and haven't really been able to speak to each other since, although they're both still very into the other," she quickly explained.  
  
"Astrid!" Hermione insisted.  
  
"I'm almost 11 years old. I know what snogging is!" Emma said, looking up at Hermione. Astrid glanced up at her sister.  
  
"And if you didn't before, Harry and Hannah gave a pretty good demonstration!"  
  
"ASTRID!" Harry cried. Astrid shrugged.  
  
"How long are you going to be here?" Hermione asked Emma in hopes of changing the subject for the benefit of the youngest girl.  
  
"Mum and I are staying until Draco wakes up. Lucius is leaving tomorrow," Emma explained, smiling at Hermione.  
  
"How are you almost 11? Doesn't Astrid get to be 12 before you can be almost 11?" Harry queried.  
  
"Nope!" Emma laughed.  
  
"Emma's 10 months younger than me and Keiran. Our parents didn't quite understand the concept of spacing children out," Astrid explained. "So she, in fact, will be 11 in June and Keiran and I turn 12 in August."  
  
"Most of the time we play twins to keep Astrid from Keiran," Emma laughed.  
  
"You should go, I don't want Lucius mad at either of us," Astrid said. Emma's face paled.  
  
"You're right," she said. "It was nice meeting you all. I'm sure I'll see you more between now and the time Draco wakes up." With that, she turned on her heel and scurried out of the great hall.  
  
"Cool kid," Ron said, nodding after the little girl.  
  
"Not as cool as me though," Astrid laughed.  
  
"Not as cool as you though," Ron agreed.  
  
*****  
  
"You have failed," Lucius Malfoy's silky smooth voice issued from behind the black mask as he looked down at the form cowering in front of him.  
  
"Yes, I have," the boy agreed.  
  
"Father, you should have left his work to me," a smaller figure just behind Lucius said.  
  
"No Keiran," Lucius scolded. "But you may take care of his punishment." Keiran stepped forward, drawing his wand from his robe.  
  
"What shall I do?" Keiran asked quite rhetorically.  
  
"Use the new spell you learned," Lucius urged. Keiran pointed his wand at the person. A quietly muttered spell sent the boy crashing to the floor, screaming with pain.  
  
"Now," Lucius's hiss came over the boy's screams. "You will not be allowed to finish the job. You are not worthy of that. You will, however, make sure Draco has no recollection of what happened. You must not get yourself caught."  
  
*****  
  
"Hey," Astrid said, looking down at the still form in the bed. Draco was curled on his left side, hand tucked under his head. His right arm was encased from almost his neck to his wrist in a thick white material. His skin still held a bluish tinge, and he was speckled with angry pink marks where he had been cut.  
  
"What exactly do you think you're doing, going and getting yourself almost killed?" she asked softly. She reached over and pushed a strand of hair away from his face.  
  
"Know that if I find out who did this to you, I'll hex them into next week. Unless of course it's our darling brother." She reached over and brushed her fingers across the back of her brother's right hand. "I'll kill him." She closed her fingers around her brother's in what she hoped was a reassuring gesture, momentarily forgetting that he couldn't feel her hand at all.  
  
"I'll bet this is some plan to increase Keiran's power," she finally said. "And that scares me slightly, because it means I'm next. And what about Emma? She's at muggle boarding school with no magical protection what so ever. I know the last place anyone would look for one of Lucius's daughters would be a muggle school, but if Voldemort really wants to find her, he will." Draco's body gave a violent lurch.  
"Madame Pomfrey!" Astrid called. Draco's body shook again. His mouth fell open and a great quantity of deep crimson blood spewed forth.  
"MADAME POMFREY!" Astrid shrieked, taking several steps back from her brother. The blood soaked down across his hand and dripped off of the edge of the bed, splashing into the floor at Astrid's shoes. A few iridescent red bubbles gathered at the corner of his mouth.  
"What is it dear?" Madame Pomfrey asked, bustling out of her office. She stepped inside the curtained enclosure with the first year. Astrid, eyes wide, pointed at the quickly pooling blood.  
"Oh my. It's probably time for you to go back to your common room." Astrid didn't need to be told twice. She turned on her heel and rushed from the hospital wing.  
"How was he?" Ron asked, not taking notice of the terrified expression on the first years face. A sob lurched from Astrid's throat.  
"So much blood," were the only words she muttered through the tears that began gushing from her eyes. Ron turned to look at his little friend.  
"Blood?" he asked. Astrid nodded mutely. Ron held his hands down to the girl. She stretched her arms up towards him and jumped. He caught her and held her flat against his chest. She buried her face into the soft spot just between his neck and his shoulder and sobbed. He began the long walk back to Gryffindor tower, smoothing her hair with the hand of the arm he had wrapped protectively around her shaking shoulders.  
"It'll be okay," he whispered into her soft hair. 


	37. Chapter 37

Disclaimer: Nope. Not mine. _Astrid's mine. _Yes, yes she is. *mumble*retard*mumble* _I'm not a retard. _Fine. Fucktard then. _Hey that's my word. _Priorities anyone? Anyway, this is the ever wonderful saint of a beta, Natalie. Italics denote our lovely authoress. _Give Shakespeare some credit. _Oh yeah, Billy boy owns the poem. _I'm getting him tattooed on my ass. _Cool. Now, here's the chapter. We're going to watch Buffy, because we're weird. _That needs to be in italics. _Actually it's cause I've determined that Zandra needs to get all of the Buffy references I provide. _We need a fluff warning too. _Sigh.

Caution: Fluff ahead. Have toothpaste and mouthwash on hand to prevent cavities. _That's good. Now give them the chapter. _

            "Fred, you must be kidding me! It's February! We'll freeze!" Hermione screeched when Fred pulled her to a stop just in front of the door to the roof. 

            "Hermione, I might not be as smart as you, but I'm not completely stupid," Fred insisted. "Will you just trust me?" He looked at his girlfriend with pleading blue eyes. "Besides, George and Katie are going to their spot and no one else knows about this place, so we won't be found. No interruptions."  He raised both eyebrows at her suggestively.

            "Okay," Hermione finally relented. She took Fred's hand and allowed herself to be led through the door leading to the ladder o the roof. 

            "You're going to love your present I think," Fred said, as he opened a door at the top of the stairs. "Now if you could jut close your eyes."

            "No roof?" Hermione asked as Fred led her into the room.

            "Are you kidding? It's February! We'd freeze!" Fred shrieked. Hermione tried to smack him playfully on his arm. As her eyes were closed, she only managed to brush his side. Fred stopped in the center of the room and dropped Hermione's hand.

            "Fred?" Hermione asked nervously.

            "Just a minute babe, I'm making a few last minute adjustments," Fred said. Hermione visibly relaxed. She felt her carefully chosen purple Weasley sweater and khaki pants morphing. 

            "Fred?" she asked, panic edging into her voice. 

            "Your outfit won't work for tonight's activities," Fred explained.

            "And yours will?" Hermione questioned. Fred had donned his school robes especially for the event. 

            "I'm changing mine too, doll," Fred assured her. At no point did Hermione feel naked, which made her considerably more comfortable with the situation. 

            "Can I open my eyes yet?" she asked. 

            "Two more seconds," Fred insisted.

            "One," Hermione began counted.

            "Done!" Fred cried, before she could reach two. Hermione slowly opened her eyes and looked around the room. Fred had put a hardwood floor into the attic, and turned three of the walls white. The fourth wall was covered in mirrors. Fred stood in the center of the floor dressed in a pair of semi tight black dress pants and a blue button down shirt. The sleeves of the shirt were rolled to just above his elbows and the shirt was unbuttoned to about halfway down his slim chest over a white tank top. He was barefooted and held five long stem red roses in his right hand. His hair was gelled into slightly messy spikes all over his head. Hermione glanced at her outfit in one of the mirrors. She wore a black dress, made of a shimmering silken material. The dress was strapless, hugging her torso tightly. The skirt flared out at the waist and stopped just above her bare feet. The dress was studded with sequins in random places. Her hair had been gathered into a ponytail with curls cascading from the elastic and two or three down framing her face.

            "It's gorgeous, Fred," Hermione gushed, spinning around. The skirt of the dress flared out as Hermione spun. "But why do I need to be dressed up?" Fred closed the space between himself and Hermione. He held out the roses.

            "One for every month we've been together," Fred explained as Hermione smelled the roses. Hermione carefully placed the roses in a vase she conjured and sat it safely against the wall.

            "So why do I need to be dressed up?" Hermione asked, returning to Fred in the center of the room. 

            "It's for the rest of the present. I figured it would be more fun if we were dressed up," Fred explained.

            "What's the present?" Hermione asked, looking up innocently at Fred.

            "Maybe I should just show you," Fred suggested.

            "That would be nice," Hermione urged, smoothing her hands over the skirt of her dress. Fred pointed his wand at the ceiling and muttered a quick spell. The room was bathed in an almost tangible silence for about three full seconds. Fred clasped Hermione's hands in his and moved their joined hands to almost chest level. The sound of brassy trumpets, blaring trombones, hot saxes and a steady drumbeat rushed down from the ceiling.

            "What the?" came the only section of sentence Hermione could utter before Fred let go of her right hand and flung her into a wild spin. Just when she thought she would surely careen into the wall, Fred pulled her back to him. He dropped a kiss on the top of her head when she returned to his arms. Then he held their respective right and left hands out to their sides, while his left hand snaked down and rested on the small of Hermione's back. Hermione curved her arm around Fred's shoulders, resting it lightly on the back of his neck. They moved in time to the fast music for a few moments before Fred swung Hermione into several more crazy spins before pulling her close to his chest once more. 

            "Where did you learn to do that?" Hermione gasped.

            "Leah and I have been having dancing lessons for months. As it turns out, she's a quite good teacher," Fred insisted. Just then, his bare toes made contact with Hermione's.

            "Not that good," Hermione winced.

            "That's why we're barefooted," Fred explained. "I'm still not great."

            "But you've improved," Hermione agreed. The music began to wind down. Fred took the opportunity to spin Hermione twice more before dropping her into a perfect dip, ending with a sound kiss on her lips. As the last beats of the song wound down, Fred pulled Hermione back to standing.

            "What did you think?" he asked. She pressed another kiss to his lips. 

            "You're fantastic!" she said, not moving her lips from his. 

            "Would you like to have food now, or dance a little more?" Fred asked.

            "Let's dance," Hermione said, curling against Fred's chest. Fred muttered a spell towards the ceiling. The entire roof turned transparent and Hermione and Fred began their second dance amid silvery stars.

*****

            "So," said Ron, looking at the girl seated across the blanket from him. Her face shone in the uneven light of the two candles on the blanket between them.

            "So," Mandy echoed, sounding equally nervous. Ron picked up his sandwich and took a bite. A bit of strawberry jelly cascaded onto his chin.

            "What kind of sandwich is that?" Mandy asked, touching her chin in the exact spot the jelly rested on Ron's.

            "Jelly, banana and cheese," Ron admitted. His quick pink tongue flipped out and removed the jelly from his chin. Mandy looked warily at the sandwich in front of her.

            "Don't worry, yours is plain peanut butter and grape jelly. I didn't think you were ready for the delicacy that is jelly, banana and cheese," Ron explained. He took another bite of his sandwich. Mandy took a dainty bite of her own sandwich.

            "How exactly did you decide to put those three things together on a sandwich?" she asked. Ron swallowed his sandwich and washed it down with a sip of butter beer.

            "Harry, actually," Ron admitted. "When he was younger, he discovered he could eat jelly, bananas, cheese and bread without his aunt and uncle noticing him stealing food. The easiest way to eat those four things is in sandwich form, so that's how these came to be. He introduced me and Hermione to them and they're actually really good." Mandy nodded and took another bite of her sandwich. 

            "And besides," Ron rambled. "They're one of the two things I know how to make."

            "What is the other?" Mandy ventured to ask. Ron instantly turned he shade of red he was most famous for.

            "Peanut butter and jelly," He admitted, mumbling slightly. He popped the last bit of his sandwich into his mouth.

            "Aww," Mandy gushed, "you made all of this yourself!" Ron's face closely resembled a giant tomato.

            "Yes," he said, looking towards the blanket. He quietly picked at a string on the edge of the material.

            "How sweet!" Mandy said through another bite of her sandwich. A bit of uncomfortable silence followed. Ron fidgeted with the string until it broke off. Then he began compulsively smoothing his clothes. Hermione and Hannah had taken great pride and several hours in picking out an outfit suitable for the occasion. They had finally settled on a pair of heather grey dress pants borrowed from Dean, a black undershirt taken from Harry's closet and a button down shirt Hermione had literally talked Kyle Burns out of in the common room a few days earlier. 

            "It looks maroon," Ron had insisted when Hermione presented him with the shirt just after removing it from Kyle.

            "Burgundy Ron, burgundy," Hermione had argued. "See the red undertones? There are definite red undertones and that makes it burgundy. Maroon would have brown undertones." Ron had finally accepted the shirt and launched on a string of complaints about how all of his clothes were borrowed. Sawyer had immediately peeled the socks off of his own feet and tossed them at the fifth year. This only worsened Ron's rant, which was arguably Sawyer's intention anyway. Colin Creevey had finally silenced the older boy by offering a pair of boxers to complete the outfit.

            "I have bikini briefs too," the fourth year had joked. Hermione had threatened to revoke all talking privileges for that statement.

            So Ron sat there on his first real "date" with Mandy wearing an almost fully borrowed outfit. Hermione and Hannah had then proceeded to attack Mandy's closet. They had finally chosen a khaki skirt of Hannah's and a v-necked 3/4 length sleeve lavender sweater form Amanda Princeton's closet that perfectly accentuated Mandy's dark chestnut hair and violet eyes. Hannah had brushed Mandy's hair to a shining smooth perfection and clipped the front bits back with a silver barrette. Padma Patil's jewelry box provided the perfect silver earrings, small balls dangling form a think snake-like chain.

            "So what's for desert?" Mandy asked, polishing off the last bite of sandwich. Ron reached for the picnic basket Dobby had provided for the occasion. He pulled out a small container and prized the top off.

            "Fred taught me," Ron said, excitedly, holding the dish out to Mandy.

            "Should I eat it then?" Mandy asked, looking down at the chocolate dipped strawberry in her hand and thinking of the three days in October she spent with electric blue hair. 

            "Oh they're perfectly fine. I watched Fred make a batch and then I made these by myself after the house-elves checked to make sure everything was just as it was supposed to be," Ron explained. He chose a strawberry and placed the container halfway between himself and Mandy. He looked around the room he had chosen, amazed at how far it had come. It had started out as a dusty cavernous room that smelled faintly of dog. Ron and an army of first years armed with cleaning charms attacked the room for the better art of a Saturday. Now Fluffy's old lair was a clean cheery room with candles lining the walls. Thanks to a rather nifty charm by Astrid, the entire room smelled like vanilla. She had muttered something about the smell of puppy entrails the entire time she had worked the charm. Hermione had charmed the ceiling to look like a star-filled summer sky. Ron simply hoped Mandy didn't venture into the far left corner of the space. Harry, Jason and Sawyer had charmed a patch of the floor, about twice the size of a king-sized bed to have the consistency of a mattress. The trio refused to tell Ron how to fix the problem and blackmailed Hermione and Ginny into silence. Mandy reached for another strawberry. Ron stretched out on his back. He laced his fingers together underneath his head and stared off at the ceiling. Mandy polished off her strawberry and carefully moved to the other side of the candles. She stretched out next to Ron and pillowed her head carefully on the upper part of his right arm. 

*****

            "Do you think Ron and Mandy's conversation has gone to Quidditch yet?" Hannah asked, glancing over her shoulder at Harry. She tucked a stray blonde lock behind her ear. Harry wrapped his arms tighter around her and pulled her closer to his chest, blowing her hair out of his mouth at the same time.

            "I was thinking maybe we should check the rosebushes," Harry laughed.

            "Do you think he'll make it official tonight?" Hannah asked.

            "If he doesn't and they snog again, I'm not sure I can handle another two months like the last two," Harry joked. "But I sat him down and gave him a speech about how if he would make things official with her, they could snog whenever they wanted."

            "Within reason," Hannah amended.

            "Within reason," Harry agreed. "Do you want another s'more?"

            "No thanks, two is my limit," Hannah insisted. Harry carefully stood up from his position behind his girlfriend and made his way over to the fire he had started on the bank of the lake. The pair had been sitting in "their spot" for the past hour. The fire shone brightly out onto the lake and made the cold February night bearable. Harry had made s'mores for dinner. 

            "Your present should be here soon, Harry commented as he roasted a marshmallow over the fire.

            "My present?" Hannah asked.

            "Yes," Harry said. He carefully smashed the marshmallow between two graham crackers lined with half of a chocolate bar. Three bites later, the makeshift cookie sandwich was gone and Harry's lips were coated with melted chocolate.

            "Come here," Hannah instructed. Harry sank onto the blanket next to his girlfriend. She immediately busied herself with cleaning his lips thoroughly with her own. Moments later, a sharp cough sounded from behind the pair. Harry quickly pulled away from Hannah and turned to look at the intruders. Three first years stood just behind the blanket. Two were wearing bright pink robes and large fluffy wings. Wreaths of heart shaped tinsel rested in their hair. They flanked a third first year wearing identical angel wings and not much else save a large nappy fashioned out of a fluffy white towel. The center cupid had a quiver full of heart-tipped arrows slung across his back and carried a bow. The cupid to his right held a dozen red roses while the cupid to the left held a small box wrapped in shiny red and pink paper.

            "What are you lot doing?" Hannah asked, taking in the sight of the oddly dressed trio.

            "We are your Valentine's Day cupids," The center cupid announced. "We are here bearing gifts and a poem."

            "Sawyer, you're going to die!" Hannah shrieked.

            "No, I'll be fine," Sawyer insisted "Astrid put a warming spell on the nappy before I came out here." 

            "Why, may I ask, are you wearing a nappy anyway?" Hannah questioned. Sawyer tugged the nappy back onto his narrow hips and shrugged so the wings readjusted themselves on his shoulders.

            "Harry wanted cupids and cupids wear nappies," Sawyer explained.

            "The poem?" Jason reminded Sawyer.

            "Oh, right," Sawyer laughed. He shoved a hand down the front of his nappy and pulled out a crumpled scrap of parchment.

            "SAWYER!" Chelsea and Jason chorused.

            "It was between the nappy and my boxers! Where else was I supposed to keep it?" He asked. He flattened the parchment as best he could and held it out in front of him. Chelsea and Jason stepped closer to him. Sawyer cleared his throat rather obnoxiously and the entire trio began to read.

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate:

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

And summer's lease hath all too short a date:

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,

And often is his gold complexion dimmed,

And every fair from fair sometime declines,

By chance, or nature's changing course untrimmed:

But thy eternal summer shall not fade,

Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st,

Nor shall death brag thou wander'st in his shade,

When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st,

So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,

So long lives this, and this gives life to thee

            "So did you catch all of that?" Sawyer asked as soon as they finished reading. Chelsea and Jason stepped forward. Jason held out the roses while Chelsea slipped the small gift into Hannah's hands. Sawyer deposited the poem back into his nappy.

            "Yes," Hannah said. She turned to Harry and dropped a kiss on his cheek.

            "Open your present!" Chelsea squealed. Hannah looked over to Harry. Harry nodded at her, so Hannah placed the roses carefully on the blanket and peeled the wrapping off of the small box. She carefully opened the lid and lifted out a thin silver chain. Dangling from the bottom of the chain was the outline of a silver heart. The chain ran through the heart, causing it to dangle at an angle from the chain.

            "Harry, it's gorgeous!" Hannah exclaimed. Harry took the necklace from her hands and positioned himself behind her. Hannah picked her blonde hair up off of the back of her neck and Harry clasped the necklace on her. 

            "Beautiful!" Chelsea gushed. 

            "Guys, my nappy is starting to cool off!" Sawyer announced.

            "Really?" Jason asked.

            "No, but I think it's time we make an exit," Sawyer laughed. "Now come on." He turned on his heel and scampered back towards the castle, normal running made impossible by his large nappy. Chelsea shrugged at Jason and the pair followed Sawyer.

            "How much did you have to pay them?" Hannah asked, watching the first years disappear in the distance.

            "They bet Hufflepuff would win the Hufflepuff/Slytherin match," Harry shrugged. "It was a galleon for each of them if I lost, and them doing that if I won."

            "You bet against us?" Hannah asked, looking properly appalled.  

            "I had to take my chance. You have to admit, seeing Sawyer in a diaper was well worth it," Harry said. "Although he actually came up with that on his own." Hannah laughed and shook her head. She reached up and touched her necklace lightly.

            "Thank you," she whispered.

            "You're welcome," Harry replied, leaning in for a kiss.

*****

            "I'm tired," Hermione announced. Another song had just ended. Hermione curled against Fred's chest and rested her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and dropped a kiss on the top of her head.

            "Me too. I think we've officially danced the night away," he said. Hermione smiled up at her boyfriend and kissed the remnants of a chocolate dipped strawberry away from the corner of Fred's mouth. 

            "I wonder if your brother has made it official with Mandy yet," Hermione laughed.

            "I wonder if Lee has," Fred began. "Wait. I can't say that in case he chickened out."

            "What was Lee planning for Marissa?" Hermione asked, nudging her boyfriend with two fingers in his sides.

            "I really can't tell. If you want to go back to the common room, we can sit by the fire and watch all of the couples come in and laugh at the really single people and Ron," Fred suggested. 

            "Sounds good," Hermione said. "I am a prefect after all. I'll run the first years to their dorms."

            "Perfect," Fred laughed. He picked up Hermione's roses and led her out of the dance studio.

*****

            "Mandy?" Ron asked. He placed his left hand on her right hip and used his right forearm to prop himself up above the girl.

            "Yes?" Mandy asked, She brushed her hair back from her face and then reached up and brushed her hand down the line of Ron's jaw bone.

            " I've been thinking," Ron began.

            "Okay," Mandy said. She tried to pull his face back to hers.

            "Well," Ron tried again.

            "How about I make this easy on you?" Mandy said.

            "What?" Ron asked. He brushed over her hair with his right thumb.

            "How about we make this official so we can do this whenever we want," Mandy suggested. Ron leaned in for another kiss. When he pulled away, he flashed a devilish smile at his new girlfriend.

            "I couldn't have said it better myself."

*****

            "Heya Dray," Astrid said. She pushed aside one of the curtains and walked over to the edge of her brother's bed. She looked carefully at the lifeless form in front of her before climbing up onto the stool Madame Pomfrey had taken to leaving next to Draco's bed for Emma and Astrid. Draco hadn't changed much since the first time she had come to see him. The blood vomiting had stopped, but he was still as unconscious, and his arm was still incased in the cast. Astrid reached over and pushed a piece of hair back from her oldest brother's face. 

            "How are you?" Astrid asked, knowing she wouldn't get a response. "I wish you could see me right now. My left eye is blue and purple. Madame Pomfrey wanted to heal me, but I decided it could wait until Ron and Harry saw. Hermione will heal it for me." She smoothed her robes over her knees and looked down on her brother.

            "I've got detention next week with McGonagall. For the fight. She was not happy, and now none of my dorm mates are really my biggest fans. Jason and Sawyer and Dennis still speak to me. And Nathan and Chelsea. Of course, Nathan is still sort of scared of me. He's actually the one who ran and got McGonagall and Dumbledore when Chelsea and Sawyer and he and Jason found you. But Chelsea, Jason and Sawyer are really the ones who saved you. That really makes me laugh. Chelsea and Sawyer are both muggle born and they saved your life." She reached down and adjusted another piece of Draco's hair. 

            "I bet you want to know why I got in a fight. Well. It happened today just before dinner."

&&&&&

            "I think Sawyer has a crush on me!" Hailey Johnson cried, leaning into the circle created by her two best friends, Karey Finnegan and Madeline O'Conner. 

            "Did you get a Valentine from him?" Karey asked, examining her polished nails with an air of superiority. 

            "And what happened to your crush on Seamus?" Madeline questioned.

            "Sawyer is just something to do while I wait for Seamus to realize what he's missing," Hailey explained confidently. 

            "Valentine?" Karey asked again.

            "Not yet, but the night is still young," Hailey replied. 

            "What about Astrid?" Madeline asked. "It seems as though she fancies Sawyer or Jason. After all, she does hang out with them all of the time." 

            "Well in that case she also fancies Dennis Creevey, Ron Weasley, Harry Potter, and both Weasley twins. Three of those five have girlfriends. She can't have all of the guys in Gryffindor tower," Hailey laughed. 

            "So she's standing between you and the best looking boy in our year," Karey began. A mischievously evil look fell over her very Seamus-like features. 

            "What are you thinking?" Madeline asked warily.

            "Do you really think Sawyer is the best looking boy in our year?"  Hailey asked.

            "For right now, yes, but if Keiran Malfoy turns out like his older brother, then I will date him sometime before we graduate," Karey said.

            "Just like his older brother?" Hailey asked, raising an eyebrow at the ringleader of the little group. 

            "Okay. Like his brother right up to the point where he decides to play potions master only botches up his own suicide so badly that its pathetic rather than tragic," Karey laughed.

            "Tragic?" Madeline asked.

            "Any day a guy that fine decides to die is tragic. It becomes pathetic when he doesn't manage it, risking his popularity and his looks," Karey explained.

            "Karey!" Madeline exclaimed.

            "That's Astrid's brother you're talking about. Imagine if it was Seamus!" Hailey added.

            "But Seamus isn't that stupid. Seamus isn't that gorgeous either," Karey said, She pulled at a bit of her nail polish before flipping open a magazine on the bed in front of her. Hailey lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling, while Madeline buried her face in the stomach of her teddy bear.

            "Karey, that's got to be the worst thing I think you've ever said," she mumbled.

            "I'll say," said a cold voice from the doorway. All three girls looked to the new person in the room.

            "What did you just say about my brother?" Astrid asked, taking two steps towards Madeline's bed.

            "Nothing," Karey lied.

            "And that's a lie," Astrid continued her slow walk towards Karey. "I heard the entire thing from the landing."

            "Well it's the truth. Sawyer and Jason are just your friends because they want to get to know Harry, Ron and Hermione. How you ever got to be friends with those three is beyond me in the first place. Draco's suicide attempt was pathetic because he didn't manage it and I hear he'll never be exactly right again. Too bad because he was gorgeous," Karey said, smiling sweetly at Astrid.

            "You bitch," Astrid muttered.

            "What did you just call me?" Karey asked.

            "I called you a bitch," Astrid said, raising her chin so she was looking down her nose at the bigger girl. Karey jumped off of the bed and closed the distance between herself and Astrid. 

            "I should hit you for that," Karey said, tucking a strand of sandy hair back behind her ear with her left hand. Her right hand was clenched tightly into a fist. 

            "You should," Astrid agreed. She formed her own hands into tiny balls and looked defiantly at Karey. 

            "Is that an invitation?" Karey asked. She didn't wait for Astrid to respond. Instead, she swung her fist directly at Astrid's eye. The right hook caught Astrid squarely in her left eye. The smaller girl took a few steps backwards and rubbed her rapidly reddening eye. 

            "Good shot, Finnegan," she muttered, willing the eye to quit watering. Karey tried to discreetly shake her throbbing fist out, while turning to smile excitedly at Madeline and Hailey. The moment of distraction was all Astrid needed. She ran directly for Karey, taking her to the floor between her bed and Madeline's. She used her feet to pin Karey's legs to the floor while pinning her hands down with her knees. She clasped her hands around Karey's throat and began applying pressure.

            "That's the last word I will ever hear you say about my brother," she hissed menacingly. A few tears from her swelling eye dropped onto Karey's bright red forehead.

            "Astrid, you're going to kill her," Hailey cried.

            "ALICIA!" Madeline screeched.

            "I swear," Karey gasped. "Nothing else about Malfoy."

            "Sawyer or Jason either," Astrid spat.

            "Them too," Karey gasped. Before Astrid could get her next threat out, she felt herself being lifted off of Karey by the back of her robes. 

            "What do you think you're doing Miss Malfoy?" Alicia asked. Astrid looked at Alicia through one swollen reddish purple eye and one sparkling silver grey eye.

            "She started it."

&&&&&

            "So I fought Karey Finnegan because she was saying nasty things about you. Maybe I'll have Colin take a picture of my eye so I can show you when you wake up. Speaking of that, you need to hurry up and get to it." Astrid reached over and clasped her brother's fingers in her own. 

            "I'm just glad mum and Emma left earlier today. I doubt anyone has told you what's going on. Mum had to go back to the manor because she has news for Lucius that she had to tell him in person. She decided it was time for Emma to go back to school. I'm going to miss that kid. It's been nice having her around here to talk to. I can't wait till next year and I hope she gets these Ravenclaw tendencies out of her system." Astrid arched her back and rubbed at her swollen eye with her free hand before returning to her monologue to her unconscious brother.

            "So mum has been getting sick pretty consistently every day since she's been here taking care of you. Madame Pomfrey finally made mum lie down so she could take a look at her. I was talking to Emma right after all of this transpired and Emma said Lucius has wanted an heir for quite some time. Evidently you're not fit and, well, Keiran. Yeah. So Madame Pomfrey looked at mum and Lucius wish is coming true. Maybe. We're getting another little sibling in September!" Astrid announced excitedly, though she didn't expect a reaction from Draco. Silver grey eyes flashed open and the supposedly unconscious boy coughed twice.

            "What did you just say?" Draco asked.

            "Dray, you're awake!" Astrid squealed.

            "Yes I'm bloody awake. Now repeat what you just said," Draco commanded. 

            "Mum is having another baby in September," Astrid said.

            "Bloody hell," Draco mumbled. "We're turning into some sort of Weasleys." Astrid drew her hand back to strike Draco on his leg. "Don't, please!" he cried, a level of emotion Astrid hadn't expected to hear in his voice. She quickly moved her hand to her own leg.

            "You could probably break my leg doing that," Draco explained. "They haven't exactly figured out a way to increase my bone density back to normal yet."

            "Oh," Astrid replied.

            "Yes. It's rather odd. They've put a spell on me that makes me incapable of moving," Draco explained.

            "Why?" Astrid asked. She tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear and looked imploringly at her older brother.

            "Well, I have no sense of touch. Meaning I don't really realize that I'm here. If I move, I risk rolling over on a leg or arm wrong, and breaking it without realizing I'm doing anything until my bone snaps," Draco explained.

            "Oh man, that's horrible," Astrid said.

            "Yes," Draco replied. "Thank God your friends walked in when they did though. Another minute or two of lying there and I would have died."

            "I think that was the point," Astrid mumbled. Draco closed his eyes softly, silvery lashes resting on pale cheeks.

            "I think so too, and whoever did this to me managed to obliviate me before I woke up. I can't remember anything from lunch that Sunday on till this morning," Draco explained.

            "So they don't have a clue," Astrid said. "They were relying on your being able to tell them." 

            "Yes," Draco said. 

            "So you woke up this morning?" Astrid asked. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"

            "I requested they didn't," Draco explained. He opened his eyes and looked up at his little sister. "I figured it would be a hell of a joke to see how long it would take you to realize I actually was awake. No fair springing news about a new sibling on me like that."

            "That's absolutely horrible, Draco Malfoy. I'll punch you for it as soon as I can punch you without risking breaking you," Astrid insisted, squeezing his fingers slightly.

            "I don't get to play in the Quidditch match at Beauxbatons next week," Draco said, looking down at his basically useless body.

            "Do you still get to travel?" Astrid asked.

            "Bone density, arm healing, blah blah blah," Draco said. "What it amounts to is that if my legs can support my weight without breaking and my arm is healing properly, then I should be able to go along and support the team."

            "That's good," Astrid said.

            "Go along and support bloody Gryffindors?" Draco asked. "I'll go along for the attention from hot French chicks." 

            "Draco Malfoy!" Astrid cried. Draco smiled sheepishly at his sister.

            "What?" He asked, feigning innocence. Astrid shook her head at him.

            "They're playing Sanguinis you know," she said.

            "Yes," Draco replied.

            "Ron was irate," Astrid laughed. "He stomped around the common room for days." 

            "Good to know he was concerned for my well-being," Draco muttered.

            "Hey, I'll have you know that the entire team came to visit you," she said.

            "Wood threatened them how much?" Draco asked. Astrid giggled slightly.

            "That's completely beside the point," she insisted. She drew her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them before continuing her sentence. "He stopped just short of bodily harm." 

            "Figures," Draco muttered.

            "Have you had any other visitors?" Astrid asked.

            "Pansy was in here earlier on account of Valentines day and all," Draco said. "I can't believe I've been out for more than 14 days!" 

            "Yep," Astrid admitted. She reached over and brushed her brother's hair away from his face again. "How did that visit go?"

            "Thanks," Draco said. "Well, I played as dead as hell and hoped my cheeks weren't too pink. Damned harpy."

            "Draco Cullen Malfoy!" Astrid exclaimed.

            "What?" Draco asked innocently. "Why not use this to my advantage if it'll make Pansy go away quicker. Besides, I don't plan on seeing her until I can be sure I'll survive the hug she'll certainly try to give me and the battle to keep her from touching me. Nice eye by the way. Thanks for sticking up for me."

            "No problem. Karey is a bitch. I know things weren't supposed to change between us at school. Luckily everyone is blaming my temporary insanity on the fact that you're half dead," Astrid laughed, letting her fingers brush against her bruised eye.

            "Ah, I knew this would come in handy," Draco laughed.

            "How much longer are you going to play dead?" Astrid asked.

            "Promise not to tell anyone? Cause I'd like to try to ride this out as long as I can," Draco said. "To many people coming to visit me would probably result in broken bones for me and I don't much fancy having to wear a do not touch sign on my arse."

            "DRACO!" Astrid cried.

            "What is it now?" Madame Pomfrey asked, bustling into the curtained enclosure.

            "Something the great git said," Astrid explained. "No blood this time."

            "Thank heavens," Madame Pomfrey exclaimed, clutching her hands to her chest in an overly dramatic fashion.

            "Wait? Blood?" Draco asked.

            "You gave your sister quite a scare the first time she came to see you Mr. Malfoy But I'm sure she can tell you all about it during her next visit. You need rest and she needs to get back to her common room," Madame Pomfrey instructed. Astrid hopped down from her stool and looked up at the hospital matron.

            "Alright. I'm coming back to see him again tomorrow though."

            "That's fine Astrid. You've been in here pretty much every day since he came in," Madame Pomfrey laughed. She reached down and tousled the little girls' hair. Astrid smiled and turned to her brother.

            "See you, Dray," she laughed. She leaned over the rail of his bed and dropped a kiss on his forehead before running from the curtains. Just at the edge she turned back to see his face morph into an expression of pure disgust.

            "It's a good look, Dray, hope it freezes that way," Astrid said before leaving the enclosure completely.

            "My sister just kissed me!" Draco cried.

            "Yes Mr. Malfoy, and you're hardly in a position to do anything about it."

*****

            "Is Ron back yet?" Harry asked, sinking into a chair next to Hermione and Fred's couch in front of the fire. 

            "Nope," Hermione laughed, pulling away from Fred and curling against his side. "How did it go with Hannah?"

            "Wonderfully. You didn't by chance see Sawyer anywhere did you?" Harry said.

            "Well, he and Jason came in a few minutes ago and the middle of Sawyer's robe looked ridiculously bulky. I was going to question him about it, but Jason insisted that he was doing nothing punishable and I didn't really want to know," Hermione explained.

            "And Jason was probably right. You know how Jason, Sawyer and Chelsea lost the bet and had to dress up as cupids for me?" Harry asked.

            "Yeah," Hermione replied. Fred's grip on his girlfriends shoulder tightened and he leaned closer to Harry.

            "They had to do WHAT?" Fred asked.

            "They bet that Hufflepuff would beat Slytherin in the Quidditch match and they lost so they had to dress up as cupids and bring Hannah's Valentines Day present out to her," Harry explained. "So Chelsea and Jason wore pink robes and wings, but Sawyer most definitely wore a nappy."

            "As well he should have. Cupids don't wear pink robes. They wear nappies," Fred laughed.

            "Sawyer's point exactly," Harry replied with a sly smile. 

            "He wore a nappy, outside, in February?" Hermione screeched. Harry shrugged.

            "He claimed he had Astrid put a warming spell on it," he explained. Harry slid off of his chair and stretched out lazily on the rug in front of the fireplace. Hermione rested her head on Fred's shoulder.

            "I wonder where we found that boy sometimes," she laughed. 

            "Ah, he's a good kid," Harry said.

            "I never said he wasn't. He's just a little," Hermione paused, searching for the right word. "Off."

            "Lee!" Fred called, looking directly at a figure crawling in through the portrait hole. "How did it go?" Lee turned a somber face on his best friend. "She said no didn't she?" Fred cackled.

            "Fred, don't be insensitive. I don't know what she said no to, but that's not very nice!" Hermione said, whacking her boyfriend's arm to try to silence his gales of laughter. 

            "And for that, Fred Weasley, you're not going to be my best man," Lee spat.

            "She said YES?" Fred screeched.

            "Yes, she said yes," said another figure who followed Lee into the common room. Marissa held out her left hand to display a small diamond in a gold setting on her ring finger.

            "You're getting MARRIED?" Hermione cried.

            "Yep," Lee and Marissa chorused proudly. Lee tossed his arm around Marissa's waist and she lightly kissed his shoulder.

            "Now if you'll excuse us," Lee said lightly. The pair headed towards the boys staircase. 

            "Remember your silencing spells," Fred called after them. Lee turned and deftly extended his right middle finger in Fred's direction. 

            "Um no," Fred began. He was silenced by a hasty kiss from Hermione.

            "So that's what Lee was planning?" Hermione asked, pulling away from the kiss only after Lee and Marissa were safely in Lee's dorm room.

            "Yep," Fred laughed. "They've been dating since sometime during fifth year and I personally don't know what Lee was thinking." 

            "Well they seem happy enough," Hermione commented.

            "Hi guys!" Ron exclaimed, staggering into the common room. He sank into the chair Harry had vacated only moments before. His shirt was buttoned incorrectly and it was very wrinkled and un-tucked. His hair had gone flat on one side and stuck straight up on the other. 

            "So will you be speaking to Mandy again after tonight, or will we have to endure another two months of ridiculous silence?" Harry asked. Ron's lips were red and slightly swollen and his face had a red glow, a far cry from its usual red blush.

            "We'll be speaking again," Ron said with a smile. "Oh we'll definitely be speaking." He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. 

            "So you finally made it official?" Harry guessed. Ron turned bright red and refrained from looking at his best friends.

            "She did," he muttered.

            "She did?" Harry asked.

            "She did?" Hermione echoed.

            "SHE DID!" Fred screeched, loud enough for Gryffindor tower to hear. 

            "Yes," Ron replied. "She did. I started trying but I couldn't think of anything besides 'let's make this official so we can snog whenever we want' and that didn't seem quite appropriate."

            "So how did she go about it?" Hermione asked, wrapping her arms around Fred's waist. 

            "She said pretty much exactly that," Ron laughed, running his fingers through his flattened hair and making it stand up too. 

            "Someone's been thoroughly snogged," Astrid announced, stepping around the back of Ron's chair and surveying her older friend carefully through her one good eye. Ron opened his eyes and looked at the girl.   

            "What happened to you?" he asked, when his eyes finally settled on her eye.

            "Karey and I had a little misunderstanding and she punched me," Astrid explained. 

            "What did you do?" Ron asked, scooting over to make room for the first year to slide into the chair beside him. 

            "I held her to the floor and choked her until she promised not to say anything else about Jason, Sawyer or my brother," Astrid laughed. Ron reached over and tousled her silvery hair.

            "Does that run in your family?" he asked.

            "Draco taught me," Astrid admitted. 

            "How is he?" Harry asked.

            "Awake but shhhh. He doesn't want anyone to know yet," Astrid laughed.

            "Why not?" Ron questioned. 

            "Well. Pansy came to visit him today and his answer to that was to, and I quote 'play deader than hell and hope my cheeks weren't too pink," Astrid said.

            "Reasonable," Harry shrugged.

            "And we're getting a new brother or sister in September!" Astrid announced cheerfully. Ron's reaction was almost identical to Draco's, wide eyes and several sputtering coughs. 

            "ANOTHER BABY?" Hermione exclaimed, rather loudly.

            "Yes, that's what I said, isn't it?" Astrid asked.

            "Wow," Fred commented offhandedly. "You all are turning into nothing more than a bunch of Weasleys."


	38. Chapter 38

If you think I own them, you should seriously see about getting your head checked.  
  
Sorry this chapter took so long.  
  
I really really really like reviews.  
  
I also really really really like the people who have reviewed so far.  
  
I also like Natalie for betaing this.  
  
*denotes French*  
  
There is quite a bit of French in this chapter, so to prevent any mistakes with machine translation and stuff, since I don't speak French, I just put the stuff that is supposed to be in French in English and surrounded it with **. Just pretend it's really French. :-D  
  
That being said.  
  
*****  
  
"Sanguinis," Oliver called.  
  
"Here," William mumbled, waving slightly at Oliver.  
  
"Weasley," Oliver said.  
  
"Specify," Ron, George, Fred and Ginny all chorused. Oliver never looked up from his clipboard.  
  
"You're all here," Oliver muttered, making four checks on his clipboard. "Potter?"  
  
"Here," Harry laughed.  
  
"Chasers?" Oliver asked.  
  
"Don't we get names?" Alicia asked.  
  
"One, two and three," Oliver said, glaring at Alicia.  
  
"I'm one!" Angelina insisted.  
  
"No fair, I play center," Alicia cried.  
  
"Which means I should be one," Katie announced. "because I play right and when facing us, starting with me would be the most logical progression."  
  
"And you three are all here too," Oliver laughed. "Hermione?"  
  
"Here Oliver," Hermione said, waving at the coach.  
  
"And Mal," Oliver's sentence trailed off. He looked up at his team gathered in the entrance hall of Hogwarts.  
  
"I'm here, Oliver," a voice from the stairs called. Everyone turned to look at the fallen keeper standing on the stairs.  
  
"You're awake," Oliver exclaimed.  
  
"And Dumbledore has given me permission to travel with the team. I can't play because I'm still quite breakable, but I can go," Draco explained. He took the remaining steps to stand with the team. William held out his hand and Draco gave him a quick and very easy high five. Draco winced as he pulled his left hand back towards his body.  
  
"Exactly how breakable are you?" Oliver asked.  
  
"Very," Draco muttered, glaring at Oliver.  
  
"So how do you plan on portkeying to France, and what happens if you break any more bones when we're there?" Oliver asked, leveling an equally menacing glare at Draco.  
  
"You're on your own to figure out the port key, you are the coach after all. And I've got all of the potions and things Madame Pomfrey says I need to finish fixing my bone density and my touch," Draco said. "And she also insists that Granger is quite proficient in healing broken bones." Draco glared over at Hermione.  
  
"If you're not reasonable to Hermione, then she's not healing anything you happen to break, and I won't either." Oliver said, glaring at Draco.  
  
"Ron, punching Malfoy would very likely break every bone in his body," Hermione said before Ron or Draco could make a comment.  
  
"So?" Ron asked, looking down as innocently as possible at his best friend.  
  
"If the pair of you don't stop it right now, you're going to run laps," Oliver threatened. He ran a hand over his close-cropped brown hair and shot an exasperated look at his clipboard.  
  
"I'm the trainer, Wood, you can't make me run laps," Hermione reminded the slightly scatter-brained coach.  
  
"Oh, right," Oliver looked back to the lifeline of a clipboard he held in his hands. "Who are we waiting on?"  
  
"No one unless the rest of our entourage is meeting us here rather than outside the gates," Harry said, rubbing a fist across his sleep-logged green eyes.  
  
"Entourage?" Ron asked, quirking an eyebrow at the smaller boy. Harry shrugged and smiled up at his best friend.  
  
"Makes us sound important," Harry explained.  
  
"Okay, so we've got nine uniforms, eight brooms." Oliver paused momentarily. "Wait. Why do we only have eight brooms?" He looked up from his inventory list to his team.  
  
"Do you really see me being able to fly anywhere?" Draco asked, subtly reminding Oliver of his injuries.  
  
"Right," Oliver muttered. "Does everyone have black socks?"  
  
"Yes, Wood," the team chorused.  
  
"I've checked and double checked the equipment at least 15 times already! We have everything!" Ginny assured the panicking coach.  
  
"Did you really?" Hermione asked, impressed by the girls effort.  
  
"Sure, why not?" Ginny laughed, shrugging nonchalantly to the older girl. She pulled at the front of her best black school robe and ran a hand over her carefully styled red hair. "Do I look okay?"  
  
"Gin, chances are the first time you see Braeden, you'll be lying in a pile on the ground with the rest of us. You're not going to have much control over your outfit," Hermione laughed. She hauled the large black medic bag onto her shoulder. "I swear. Madame Pomfrey packed an entire potions cabinet in here!"  
  
"RON!" Harry and Ginny chorused before Ron could say anything about potions and certain Slytherin team members. Ron cracked a bright smile down at his friends.  
  
"This is great!" He claimed. "I don't have to make nasty comments anymore because you lot know what I'm going to say before I say it!"  
  
"Why black socks?" Fred asked, two full minutes behind everyone else in the conversation.  
  
"They never get dirty," Oliver muttered, not realizing how far the conversation had progressed.  
  
"Entourage, school gates," Harry gently reminded the coach. Oliver tucked his clipboard into his black leather messenger bag, pulled the bag over his left shoulder, and turned to face the team.  
  
"Okay. Everyone grab your stuff, shrink it and put it in your pockets. Then we're going to go catch the carriages to the gates," Oliver instructed. The entire team, trainer and manager headed towards the assorted pile of bags and brooms lying in the corner. Fred and George both clamped hands to their respective crotches.  
  
"Oliver!" George screeched.  
  
You can't really expect us to!" Fred continued. Both boys looked more than properly appalled.  
  
"Weasley!" Oliver spat. "Serious! Please!"  
  
"Go ahead Wood, give us the speech about how we're representatives of Hogwarts and we've got to behave," George suggested. Fred nodded in identical agreement.  
  
"No, Mr. Weasley, I'm here for that," a voice form the top of the stairs said.  
  
"Good Merlin, the man is omnipresent!" George cried. He covered his head with both of his arms and crouched on the floor. Fred nudged his twin twice with his left foot as the rest of the team turned to face Dumbledore.  
  
"Good luck," Dumbledore said. "As Mr. Weasley said, you are representatives of Hogwarts and I expect you all to be on your best behavior. I also, however, expect you all to win, so if you need to do anything to loosen up before the match, I suggest pranking a Professor," Professor Dumbledore trailed off. "I probably shouldn't tell you that."  
  
"Oh come on, Professor Dumbledore!" Fred cried.  
  
"Tell us!" George finished Fred's sentence.  
  
"No, I shouldn't. Go, have fun, and bring back a victory for Hogwarts!" And with that, he was gone as mysteriously as he had appeared.  
  
"And that was officially creepy," Fred announced as he placed his shrunken broom and luggage into his pocket.  
  
"Are you all ready to go?" Oliver asked.  
  
"Come on Oliver, or we're going to be late!" Ginny insisted. She turned on her heel and stomped out of the castle. Her red hair flickered in the bits of the early morning sunlight that slipped in through the castle door when she opened it.  
  
"Follow the manager. Chasers, you're in a carriage with Ginny. Fred, Ron, Hermione and Harry, go together, and George, Draco and William, you're with me. Weasley, quit staring at me like that. It won't kill you to be separate for a few minutes." Oliver said. The team all turned and rushed towards the doors of the castle. Oliver hurried after them and clambered into the last carriage in the line.  
  
"Night night!" Fred announced as soon as his black robed butt his the seat of the carriage.  
  
"Fred, you don't have time for a nap," Hermione scolded, slipping into the seat next to her boyfriend. She dropped her medic bag onto the floor at her feet.  
  
"Geeze Hermione, what do you have in there?" Harry asked, nudging the oversized bag with the toe of his black leather boot.  
  
"Just call me Mary Poppins," Hermione said with a smile. She pulled her brown hair down from the loose ponytail she had put it in. It cascaded down her shoulders in thick amber waves. Fred nestled his head on her shoulder and inhaled deeply before closing his eyes.  
  
"Fred, you really don't have time for a nap!" Hermione scolded. The carriage took off with a satisfying lurch.  
  
"At 5 a.m., there is always time for a nap," Fred mumbled sleepily.  
  
"Why are we awake and leaving at the arse crack of dawn any way?" Ron asked.  
  
"I think they're probably worried about us missing school," Hermione said.  
  
"Why are they worried about us missing school? They're sending teachers with us!" Harry cried.  
  
"Really Harry, how thick can you get?" Hermione asked. She tried to adjust Fred's head to a more comfortable position on her shoulder, but failed miserably. She only succeeded in causing herself to slump down in the seat.  
  
'What?" Harry asked. He drew his right knee up to his chest and rested his chin just on the crest.  
  
"Don't you find it odd that the Boy Who Lived is traveling out of the country and our teaching staff consists of two Aurors and Gringott's best curse breaker in at least two decades?" Hermione asked. She shoved Fred away from her shoulder and he fell against the other side of the carriage.  
  
"He's not really asleep," Hermione muttered, tossing her hair over her shoulder. She stretched out and propped her feet on the seat between Harry and Ron.  
  
"Actually, knowing Fred, he probably is," Ron laughed, kicking his brother lightly on his shin.  
  
"So wait. Dumbledore is afraid for my safety in France when at school I live in the same tower as the heir of Voldemort's sister and play Quidditch and have classes with his brother?" Harry ranted. Hermione cast a quick spell to cancel Fred's hearing of anything Voldemort related.  
  
"You know Harry, the way you said that makes it sounds like Astrid is Voldemort's sister's heir," Hermione commented offhandedly.  
  
"You know Hermione," Harry mimicked, "I don't remember Dumbledore saying anything about sending us an English professor."  
  
"Shove it Potter, or you're not going to need the Aurors," Hermione spat, mimicking Astrid's infamous scowl.  
  
"Hermione, you've been hanging around Astrid too long," Ron declared, smiling at his friend.  
  
"Speaking of her, what do you think Oliver will do about her older brother?" Hermione questioned.  
  
"Make him portkey and let him break every bone in his body!" Ron said rather decisively. He ran a hand through his red hair, causing it to stand up on end. He leaned back in his seat and stretched his feet into Fred's lap. Fred never moved.  
  
"Do you want to deal with Astrid if that happens?" Harry asked.  
  
"Okay, no," Ron admitted, smug look vanishing from his face.  
  
"Maybe Bill or Ms. Arabella or Tonks could apparate ahead and cushion the ground and the walls around where we're supposed to land," Harry suggested. He pulled his glasses off of his face and tucked them in his robe pocket before scrubbing both eyes lazily with his fists.  
  
"Don't you need those?" Hermione asked, watching the path of the glasses from her friends face to his pocket. Harry shrugged in a non- committal way. He laced his fingers together in front of his chest and then inverted his hands so his palms faced Hermione. All of his knuckles and both shoulders popped loudly. He sighed loudly and dropped his hands back to his knees.  
  
"They are bloody useful, but its too early for them," Harry admitted. Blinking his eyes twice at the very fuzzy Hermione.  
  
"Want me to do the charm I used at Halloween?" Hermione volunteered.  
  
"Certainly," Harry replied, looking directly at Hermione through wide green eyes. Hermione pulled her wand out of her pocket and pointed it at Harry. She muttered a charm and suddenly his vision was perfect.  
  
"Why don you do that during matches?" Ron asked.  
  
"Because," Hermione replied. "Only vision correction spells done by a certified Ophthalmologist wizard are legal in match play, and I'm not certified in Ophthalmology." Ron blinked twice and shook his red head at his friend.  
  
"English," he muttered.  
  
"She's not certified to fix eyes so I couldn't play in the match if she did," Harry translated. The carriage lurched to a stop, almost throwing Fred into the floor. He sat up and rubbed a hand over his fuzzy red hair.  
  
"Are we there yet?" he asked. Harry peered out of one of the small windows situated near his head.  
  
"It seems so," he replied. He laced his fingers together and rested the back of his head in his palms, pulling his shoulder blades together in yet another stretch.  
  
"I bet Ginny is about ready to drive the chasers crazy with all of her talk of Braeden," Hermione laughed.  
  
"If the chasers were smart, they pulled her into a Quidditch conversation before she could start in on Braeden," Fred mumbled. He pushed open the door of the carriage and stumbled into the early morning sunlight. Ron and Harry quickly followed him. Fred turned and helped Hermione from the carriage. She reached back in and pulled out her gigantic medic's bag and slung it carefully over her shoulder. Fred laced his fingers through hers and gently pulled her over to where Oliver stood, with Bill to one side and Draco to the other. Bill's arm was wrapped protectively around Arabella. Tonks stood to the other side of Arabella. She had curly blonde hair that hung just past her shoulder blades, and blue-green eyes set in an early-30's face.  
  
"Come on, everyone, gather around here," Oliver instructed. Fred instantly ran to George's side, dragging Hermione with him. The twins stood next to Tonks. Katie and the other chasers joined George, while Harry and Ron slid into the circle between Alicia and Sanguinis. Ginny stepped up between Bella and Tonks.  
  
"First I want to introduce you to your teaching staff," Oliver began. "This is Professor Bill Weasley, his wife Professor Arabella Weasley, and Professor Nymphadora Tonks." Tonks waved cheerfully at the students while Bill and Bella just smiled.  
  
"Who are they?" Tonks asked, nodding at the students. Oliver pointed at each student as he said his or her name.  
  
"Ginny Weasley, Fred Weasley, Hermione Granger, George Weasley, Katie Bell, Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, William Sanguinis and Draco Malfoy."  
  
"Oh goody!" Tonks exclaimed. She bounced twice on her toes and clapped her hands together several times, much like a child at Christmas. Oliver looked sternly at Tonks, who immediately calmed down.  
  
"Now as you know, we have a situation here," Oliver said. He glanced at Draco before turning his attention to the rest of the team. "To avoid killing Draco, I'm going to ask Tonks or Arabella to apparate ahead and cushion our landing grounds."  
  
"I can't," Tonks declared. "I don't tend to be accurate on cross country apparition." Oliver looked expectantly at Bella.  
  
"I will!" Bill cried before Bella could answer.  
  
"Don't be daft Bill, he asked me," Bella said.  
  
"But the baby," Bill said, looking down at his wife. He instantly turned red and clamped his hand to his mouth.  
  
"BABY!" all of the younger Weasley siblings chorused. Bill and Bella both nodded. Bill was still the infamous Weasley red, while Bella clasped both hands protectively on her lower abdomen.  
  
"Okay. So Bill is going to apparate ahead and cushion the landing grounds," Oliver said. Bill nodded and disappeared with a pop. "Now I want the twins to stand on either side of Draco."  
  
"Why us?" George asked.  
  
"Because you two are the most identical and therefore the most stable," Oliver replied. George and Fred dropped the hands of their respective girlfriends and trudged over to where the blonde keeper stood next to the coach. Oliver pulled out his wand and pointed it at the trio, muttering several spells. When he finished, he pocketed the wand and turned back to the group. George tried to step away from Draco but found he was inexplicably pulled back towards the boy.  
  
"Draco is incased in a cushion or sorts, anchored to the two of you. Only one of you will need to hold onto the port key, as the other two will be pulled along due to the spells. The charms will prevent Draco from breaking any more bones as long as something doesn't fall directly on him. The cushion is also charmed to keep the pair of you from falling onto him, so don't even try it," Oliver explained. He held out a crumpled piece of paper to the center of the group.  
  
"Everyone put a finger on this," he instructed. The team, Bella and Tonks crowded in, all reaching for the ball in Oliver's hand. Fred reached for the paper while Draco and George watched nervously from just behind him. Harry looked warily at the piece of paper before stretching out his left hand so his fingers rested just on the edge. Ron, noticing Harry's slight apprehension, placed his right hand on Harry's shoulder and moved the smaller boy closer to the center of the circle. He didn't move his hand from his friend's shoulder. Oliver glanced down at his watch.  
  
"Three. Two. One." at the end of the countdown, a familiar tug issued behind everyone's navels. Ron's hand never slipped from Harry's shoulders. Draco and George flew along behind Fred. In a sudden jarring second, the team and their entourage bounced to a stop on a fluffy pillow-like ground.  
  
"How'd I do?" Bill asked. Ron let go of Harry shoulders and took a step backwards. William struggled to move out of the tall redhead's way. The bouncy floor caused William's knees to buckle and he stumbled a moment. Before he could completely regain his balance, he cascaded backwards directly on top of Fred. William and Fred tumbled to the ground, pulling Draco and George with them. As William fell he twisted to his right and ended up lying squarely on Draco's shins. Two loud cracks sounded from beneath the keeper.  
  
"BLOODY HELL GET THIS DUMB FUCKER!" Draco began screaming at a ridiculously high volume. Oliver pointed his wand at Draco and muttered a spell, cutting off Draco's voice.  
  
"William, get off of his legs! You're not an ogre!" Oliver commanded.  
  
"What?" William asked, confusion evident in his deep voice. He struggled to his feet and bounced away from Draco.  
  
"You were fast on your way to grinding his bones so finely you could bake bread," Oliver explained. Draco still lay on his back in greenish brown grass howling expletives at the top of his non-existent voice. He looked quite like a fish out of water. On either side of him, the Weasley twins struggled to stand. Bill fired off a countercharm that allowed his brothers to leave their enemy's side.  
  
"Hermione?" Oliver questioned. He raised an eyebrow at the fifth year trainer.  
  
"Giants," Hermione said. "Giants do the bone bread bit, not ogres."  
  
"Who cares? Heal our cheerleader!" Oliver commanded. Draco stopped his silent tirade to shoot Oliver a look that said he'd like to see the older boy dead.  
  
"Oh, right," Hermione slung her medic bag from her shoulder and flung herself to the ground next to Draco.  
  
"Weren't we supposed to meet a Beauxbatons delegation here?" Harry asked. He stood at the edge of the group, one hand on his wand pocket. He glanced nervously from Hermione and Draco to Ron to Oliver to a palace in the distance then back to Hermione and Draco.  
  
"Delegation?" Ron laughed. "Beauxbatons is sending a delegation to meet our entourage!"  
  
"I'm not kidding!" Harry snapped, glaring at his best friend. Ron's laughs trailed off and he shrugged.  
  
"Professor Dumbledore advanced the time on our portkey a bit because he half expected something like that," he pointed to Hermione and Draco. "To happen." Harry shrugged but didn't move his hand away from his wand or stop looking around.  
  
"Do I look okay?" Ginny asked. Ron cracked his knuckles and looked over at his baby sister.  
  
"Down boy!" the twins chorused. Ron immediately ran a hand over his hair and the other over his robes.  
  
"Oliver, give him his voice back," Hermione instructed, never looking up from her work on Draco's legs. Oliver did as the younger witch commanded then crouched next to the fallen keeper across from the trainer.  
  
"How do you feel?" the young coach asked.  
  
"Just. Bloody. Fucking. Peachy," Draco's response came through gritted teeth.  
  
"Is he okay?" Oliver asked. Hermione looked up from Draco's legs and shoved her wand hastily into her robe pocket.  
  
"How's your cast holding up?" she asked her classmate. Draco brushed his fingers across the thick white plaster coating his entire right arm.  
  
"It's a bloody pain in my ass!" He announced.  
  
"So do you think you can stand?" Hermione questioned. Draco stumbled to his feet, almost falling into Oliver. He never asked for help.  
  
"I'll take that as a yes," Hermione said, rising to her own feet. She tried to ignore the air of superiority radiating from the tall blonde.  
  
"Be careful," Oliver scolded the keeper. Hermione snapped her medic bag shut and pulled it onto her shoulder. She headed over to stand with Ron and the still paranoid Harry.  
  
"Look," Angelina said, pointing off towards the palace.  
  
"If those are our guides then this is our lucky day," Alicia laughed. She instantly smoothed her school robes then ran a hand over her chocolaty brown ponytail.  
  
"Is it him?" Ginny asked, squinting at the minuscule figures. She instantly began fidgeting with her hair and her robes. "Is it him?" The group approaching the Hogwarts team consisted of a tall boy flanked by a pair of girls. All three were blonde, but the girl on the left had Malfoy- blonde hair while the other two leaned more to the dirty-blonde end of the spectrum.  
  
"Wow," Alicia muttered, eyeing the boy. "I think I found the French eye candy." Ginny ran her fingers through her wavy red hair. The boy stepped away from the pair of girls. He broke into a run, light blue robes fluttering behind him.  
  
"BRAEDEN!" Ginny squealed.  
  
"GINNY!" the boy shouted. Ginny didn't move towards the boy but fisted her hands in her robes to keep the excited clapping to a minimum.  
  
"That's Braeden?" Alicia asked, looking incredulously over to Hermione, Harry and Ron. Nine nods answered her questioned.  
  
"That's baby Weasley's man," Angelina confirmed.  
  
"You know, baby Weasley won't apply to Ginny for much longer," Fred said, turning to look at his oldest brother and sister-in-law.  
  
"Yeah, Fred, about that," Bill laughed nervously and curled the end of his ponytail around his right index finger. "If you could refrain from telling mum about that until Bella and I have a chance, I'd really appreciate it."  
  
"How much would you appreciate it?" Fred asked, quirking his left eyebrow at his brother.  
  
"I'll buy you ice cream," Bill offered.  
  
"How much?" Fred asked.  
  
"Florean Fortescue's never-ending cauldron in Dragon Tracks," Bill said.  
  
"Dragon Tracks is my favorite!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
"Peanut Butter Fudge?" Bill questioned.  
  
"That's mine," George laughed. Bill sighed and looked at his brother, willing him to help.  
  
"Mint Chocolate Chip?" finally came another guess.  
  
"Mine," Ginny laughed, not taking her eyes off the quickly approaching figure.  
  
"Butter Beer?" Harry's hand shot into the air. Bill shrugged.  
  
"Mermaid Food?"  
  
"That would be mine," Hermione laughed.  
  
"I give up!" Bill declared.  
  
"Strawberry," Fred laughed.  
  
"I suppose I have to buy the rest of you lot ice cream too," Bill said, looking at his two brothers, sister, and pseudo siblings. The five nodded solemnly back at him.  
  
"Me too!" Tonks cried. "I want quadruple chocolate with chocolate sauce and chocolate sprinkles and little chocolate cookie pieces!"  
  
"Did you catch that?" Bill asked, looking back at his wife.  
  
"Never ending cauldrons of Dragon Tracks, Peanut Butter Fudge, Mint Chocolate Chip, Mer. Food, Butter Beer, Strawberry, and Tonks' creation," Bella muttered.  
  
"Right," Bill said, nodding.  
  
"When is the baby due?" Hermione questioned.  
  
"August," Bill announced.  
  
"September!" Arabella insisted, glaring at her husband.  
  
"BRAEDEN!" Ginny shrieked. The boy skidded to a halt just in front of his girlfriend. She immediately sprang into his arms, clamping her arms around his shoulders. He spun her around several times. Her legs flew out behind her due to the speed of their spinning. The pair staggered to a stop and Braeden dropped a chaste kiss on her left temple before returning her to a standing position. The pair of girls finally caught up with Braeden. One was one other than Fleur Delacour. The other was only a few inches taller than Astrid. She had the type of skin that would have been tan at any time save mid February. Her hair was the color of broom straw, but very shiny and stick straight, hanging to the middle of her diminutive back. Besides being short and small boned, she was also muscular, built much like a gymnast. Her sparkling grey-green eyes shifted from Ginny and Braeden to Bill Weasley then Oliver before back to Ginny and Braeden. She didn't look the least bit excited about that particular development. The girl's eyes finally fell on Draco and she looked considerably happier.  
  
"Braeden?" Fleur asked, coughing politely to get the boy's attention. "Weel you pleeze eentroduce us to your freendz?" Braeden stepped away from Ginny, wrapping her hand in his.  
  
"Certainly Madame Delacour," Braeden said. Fleur quickly delivered several sentences in French and the other girl suddenly looked as though she understood. Braeden looked down at Ginny.  
  
"*This is Ginny Weasley, manager for the Hogwarts team.*" The Hogwarts team immediately looked puzzled at Braeden's use of French. "I'm introducing you guys so Fleur doesn't have to translate," Braeden explained. He pointed at Hermione.  
  
"*That is Hermione Granger, my cousin. Next to her is Ron Weasley, Ginny's brother, and then Harry Potter.*"  
  
"'Ello, 'Arry," Fleur squealed, waving at her fellow tri-wizard champion.  
  
"*Those guys are Fred and George, Ginny and Ron's other brothers, and that's Angelina Johnson,*" Braeden explained. He looked directly at Katie and guessed her name. She nodded so Braeden continued with his introductions.  
  
"*That's Katie Bell and Alicia Spinnet.*" He looked over at Bill, as did the girl.  
  
"*That's Bill Weasley, another of Ginny's brothers.*"  
  
"*Are you crazy or just stupid?*" The girl asked. She never moved her eyes off of Bill.  
  
"*She has two others,*" Braeden replied, "*And that's Arabella Weasley, Bill's wife.*" He shot a very pointed look down at the short blonde. Her gaze instantly re-settled on Draco.  
  
"*I'm guessing that's Tonks, and that's Oliver Wood.*" Fleur landed an almost predatory gaze on the young Quidditch coach. Braeden pointed at William Sanguinis.  
  
"Right-o, mate!" Tonks said after Hermione whispered a translation to the oldest-looking professor. Braeden rolled his eyes at the woman.  
  
"*That's William Sanguinis and that's Draco Malfoy. I broke his jaw!*" Braeden finished.  
  
"*Good thing you didn't do any damage to that gorgeous face,*" The still nameless girl muttered.  
  
"*I understood that, Granger,*" Draco spat, glaring at the older boy and wisely choosing to ignore the girl's statement. Braeden instantly turned bright red while Fleur and Hermione laughed and everyone else simply looked puzzled at Draco's use of French.  
  
"*Introduce me,*" the girl demanded, glaring at Braeden.  
  
"Hogwarts," Braeden turned to face the team. "May I introduce Fleur Delacour, assistant charms professor, and Calliope Lestat, Beauxbatons' team seeker." Calliope gave a small smile and wave to the group, while Fleur simply smiled.  
  
"Calliope and I are going to be your guides while you're here at Beauxbatons. You'll meet the rest of the guys and Genevieve later," Braeden said. "But first I need to know, do any of you besides Hermione and Malfoy know any French?"  
  
"The rest of the guys and Genevieve?" Ron questioned.  
  
"Luc, Alexandre, and Genevieve, our chasers, and Giovanni and Marius, our beaters," Braeden explained. He still looked at the team, waiting for an answer to his question concerning possible language problems.  
  
"Vous êtes plus beau qu'un rongeur sans des dents le jeudi prochain," the twins chorused. Calliope purpled in an attempt to hold in her laughter. Braeden, Hermione and Fleur laughed outright, while Draco glared at the middle two Weasley's.  
  
"Guys, you just lost your French speaking privileges," Braeden laughed. Hermione rolled her eyes and Fred and tapped him lightly on the back of his head.  
  
"What exactly did they just say?" Ginny asked.  
  
"You don't want to know," Braeden replied, shaking his head and pulling his girlfriend towards the palace. 


	39. Chapter 39

Not mine. JKR, Princess Bride, and The Golden Girls. Yes, the Golden Girls. Astrid is mine. I got an idea from Queer Eye too.  
  
*French* just so you don't have to machine translate half the chapter.  
  
Sorry about the wait  
  
Everyone worship Natalie for betaing this.  
  
Review please. I love those of you who have reviewed.  
  
That being said  
  
*****  
  
"How is this fair?" Ginny asked, clenching her hands into tight fists by her sides.  
  
"How is what fair?" Hermione countered. The pair walked from their suite of guest rooms toward the classroom reserved for their lessons.  
  
"I have to go to class with three of my brothers taught by another of my brothers! There is no escaping them!" The exasperated redhead held her palms towards the ceiling and shook them to illustrate her frustration.  
  
"Hey," Hermione objected, "I happen to be quite fond of a couple of those brothers."  
  
"And I'm quite fond of my gorgeous boyfriend."  
  
"My cousin," Hermione interjected.  
  
"I was getting to that part," Ginny insisted. She tugged at the strap of her bag, adjusting the load on her shoulders.  
  
"Do we have Bill's class first?" Hermione questioned, partially changing the subject.  
  
"Yes," Ginny replied.  
  
"Well, you have to admit, he could probably teach us something really useful charms and such," Hermione said.  
  
"Hopefully," Ginny muttered. She still didn't look entirely pleased about the prospect of the class.  
  
"You'll get to see him at lunch," Hermione offered.  
  
"And Calliope will be there. Braeden says she's been trying to get in his pants since they were third years," Ginny cried. Hermione tucked a strand of frizzy brown hair that had escaped from her braid behind her ear.  
  
"She hasn't yet though has she?" the ever logical Hermione asked. "And besides, it looks as though she's got her sights set on Malfoy." Calliope had indeed spent most of the morning following Malfoy around like a stupid puppy. Malfoy had looked slightly put off to begin with but then seemed much more accepting near the end of the tour.  
  
"O thought I'd never say this but poor Malfoy," Ginny laughed. "That girl's a pain!"  
  
"Not more than he deserves," Hermione countered. "If she gets too annoying, he can always just whack her with his cast."  
  
"That wouldn't be very nice," Ginny objected. "Absolutely hilarious, but not very nice." Hermione shrugged. She stopped at a classroom and pushed open the door. The rest of the Gryffindors and Draco already sat inside. Both Sanguinis and Bill were conspicuously absent. Hermione and Ginny hurried over and took seats behind Harry and Ron.  
  
"What do you think he'll teach us?" Harry asked as soon as the girls took their seats.  
  
"Hopefully something cool, yet useful, that no one else in the school will learn," Ron replied.  
  
"Not asking for too much there are you Ron?" Ginny joked. Ron shrugged at his little sister.  
  
"Well, it is Bill after all. He just may come up with something," Ron said.  
  
"If the man is as original with his lessons as he is with his Christmas present, I'm charming my eyes to look open and catching a nap," Ginny declared.  
  
"Charming your eyes to look open?" Hermione questioned.  
  
"Yes," Ginny replied. "It's how the entire fourth year has made it through History of Magic ever since Jae found the charm back in second year. We take turns being the one person awake to take notes and answer questions, and everyone else sleeps."  
  
"Brilliant," Harry said, a look of enlightenment dawning on his face. He turned to Ron.  
  
"Absolutely ingenious," Ro agreed.  
  
"Teach us that charm later," Harry muttered. Bill swept into the room with Sanguinis close on his heels. Bill stormed to the front of the room and spun sharply on his heel to face the class. He pulled his freckled face into a deep scowl.  
  
"There will be no foolish wand waving or silly incantations in this class," he muttered in a silky smooth voice several notes lower than his own regular speaking voice. The Gryffindors and Sanguinis instantly erupted in howling laughter.  
  
"Well how was that?" Bill asked, flashing a smile at the class.  
  
"Perfect!" Fred howled.  
  
"Absolutely fantastic!" George agreed. Bill smiled again and lowered himself into the chair behind the desk situated in the front center of the room. Still grinning like the Cheshire Cat, he closed his eyes. Slowly he faded until all that appeared before the room was an empty desk and chair. Bill's voice issued from just above the center of the desk.  
  
"When I was told about this teaching job, the fact that you all range from fourth to seventh years and include two of the smartest fifth years."  
  
"Why thank you," Ron interrupted.  
  
"Not you," Harry laughed, jerking an elbow into his friend's side.  
  
"Your age range posed a huge problem," Bill's voice continued. "So there were two logical choices. I could either choose something so basic that you'd be bored the entire time, or I could choose something you'd never be able to do."  
  
"You chose the second," Fred guessed. Bill slowly dissolved back into view.  
  
"Yep," he admitted. "I'm going to teach you charmed invisibility. Now who can tell me the difference between charmed invisibility and transfigured invisibility?" Hermione's hand shot into the air.  
  
"One is charms, the other is transfiguration," George blurted out.  
  
"Yes, Hermione?" Bill ignored his younger brother.  
  
"Charmed invisibility can be reversed with a finite incantatem. The person is still fully audible as far as footsteps and such. Only one wizard today can do transfigured invisibility and that's Dumbledore. It's highly advanced magic that even disguises all noise," Hermione explained.  
  
"Thank you textbook Granger," Bill joked. Hermione scowled at him. Ginny tentatively raised her hand.  
  
"Yes Gin?" Bill asked.  
  
"Have you seriously thought through the logic of teaching the twins invisibility?" Ginny questioned.  
  
"I didn't master this particular skill until last year. I'm, really not worried about the twins," Bill laughed. The twins shot identical glares at their oldest brother. Bill slowly faded back to invisibility.  
  
"Cut the crap, Weasley," George spat. "Teach us something!" Fred turned an incredulous look on his brother. George shrugged slightly and turned back to the place where his oldest brother was supposed to be. A piece of chalk slowly hovered up from the chalk tray and began scratching across the board.  
  
"The real key to this," Bill began from somewhere near the floating chalk, "Is wandless magic. If you can't do wandless magic, you're going to find this very difficult. Can any of you do wandless magic?"  
  
"I can float things," Hermione announced.  
  
"Only involving spoons," Harry laughed. Draco simply raised his hand.  
  
"You can do summoning charms too," Ron insisted, elbowing Harry.  
  
"But remember, with a wand, Harry could probably summon something from Hogwarts here," Bill laughed.  
  
"He's summoned me," Ron said, smiling at his brother.  
  
"Really?" Bill asked. Ron, Harry and Hermione all nodded.  
  
"Invisibility?" George asked.  
  
"Right," Bill said, suddenly reminded of the task at hand. "Invisibility." The chalk floated towards the board and resumed scratching. Bill hadn't reappeared for the class since just before George had requested to be taught. He began scratching out a fairly complex incantation.  
  
"And we're supposed to be able to do that?" Ron asked, incredulity showing in his voice.  
  
"No, I think that was the point of picking something too hard for all of us."  
  
*****  
  
"This has got to be the funniest thing I think I've ever been able to do!" Fred cried, looking down at his hands. Disbelief showed in his sparkling blue eyes. The flesh and bones from his wrists to where his fingers should have been was completely nonexistent.  
  
"That's not cool, it's creepy," Harry's voice objected from just to Fred's left.  
  
"I agree," Hermione's voice declared from just to Fred's right.  
  
"And I personally can't stand the fact that the pair of you can be invisible and I can't!" Ron exclaimed. "And Fred? What good is having invisible hands and arms?" Fred willed the rest of his right arm to go invisible.  
  
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Fred asked. Hermione immediately squealed.  
  
"That was my bum, Fred Weasley!" She slowly faded back to visibility. Fred's head suddenly jerked forward.  
  
"Ow!" He cried. An evil laugh emitted from the invisible Harry. Hermione pulled out her wand and fired a finite incantatem at the laugh. Harry quickly appeared before them all.  
  
"No more smacking my boyfriend," she declared. Harry looked down at his feet like a child who had been caught with his hands in the cookie jar. He nodded solemnly before cutting his green eyes back towards his friend.  
  
"What class do we have after lunch?" Ron questioned.  
  
"Transfiguration with Tonks," Hermione replied.  
  
"Do you think she'll teach us something as bloody useful as Bill did?" Fred asked. He caused his right hand to flash quickly between visibility and invisibility several times.  
  
"How is having invisible arms useful?" Harry questioned  
  
"DON'T demonstrate!" Hermione pleaded. Fred smiled evilly but kept his hands visible and away from his girlfriend's bum.  
  
"Do we get to practice before the match?" Harry asked.  
  
"Are you kidding?" Hermione questioned. "Even if Oliver couldn't book the field, he'd have you flying about our bedrooms and common room chasing snitches."  
  
"We have Transfiguration and DADA after lunch, and then Oliver booked the field from 6-10 tonight. The Beauxbatons team has it from 1-5," Ginny said, approaching the group from a door on the right side of the hall.  
  
"Four hours?" Harry cried. "The man has lost it!" Ron and Hermione exchanged a look around Harry and Fred. Ginny simply shrugged. The quintet stopped in front of a pair of massive stained glass doors.  
  
"Is this where we're supposed to be?" Fred questioned. Sounds of voices, laughter and clinking dishes sounded from inside.  
  
"Sounds like it," Harry said. He reached for one of the door handles and pulled the massive door open. The door opened to reveal a hall comparable in size to the Great Hall at Hogwarts. The walls were lined from floor to ceiling with stained glass windows. Rather than four long tables with one head table, the room was filled with hundreds of small circular tables and chairs.  
  
"Merlin!" Fred exclaimed. "How are we ever going to find the?" Harry and Ron's attention had drifted to the stained glass windows where tiny multicolored figures acted through what the boys assumed was the history of Beauxbatons. The figures movement caused a rainbow of light speckles to dance across the entire hall.  
  
"Why don't the windows in our great hall do that?" Ron wondered aloud. Hermione thumped him soundly on his shoulder.  
  
"Our Great Hall doesn't HAVE windows!" she reminded him.  
  
"Where are they?" Ginny asked.  
  
"You're the one with a Braeden centered radar," Harry joked. "You tell us."  
  
"If we could do a little more moving and a little less standing around looking stupid it would be nice," Fred suggested.  
  
"Where are we supposed to go?" Harry asked.  
  
"You could always summon someone," Fred joked. Harry reached into his pocket.  
  
"KIDDING!" Fred insisted.  
  
"Guys! Over here!" someone called from the far left corner of the hall. The five friends turned to see Katie and George standing next to each other jumping up and down and waving their arms furiously.  
  
"Leave it to my brother to make a scene," Fred muttered. The five began walking over to the table where George and the chasers sat with Braeden and several unfamiliar people.  
  
"You have no room to talk, Fred Weasley," Hermione admonished, whacking her boyfriend on the right arm that he had conveniently made invisible, attracting stares from everyone at the tables they passed.  
  
"*Where are Malfoy and Sanguinis?*" Hermione asked as they approached the table.  
  
"She asked about Malfoy and Sanguinis," Braeden translated for the English speakers.  
  
"Something about that seems slightly wrong!" Angelina announced. "The Beauxbatons student shouldn't have to translate what the Hogwarts student said for the rest of the Hogwarts students." Hermione and Braeden both shrugged while Braeden translated Angelina's statement for his friends.  
  
"*So who are these people?*" the lone Beauxbatons girl seated at the table asked. She tucked a piece of curly strawberry blonde hair behind her left ear.  
  
"Malfoy and Sanguinis are off with Calliope," George finally answered Hermione's original question. Braeden stepped over next to Ginny and slid his arm around her shoulders.  
  
"*Braeden, don't you think it's a little quick to be getting cozy with the English chick?*" a thin boy with curly dark brown hair asked.  
  
"*Luc man, this is Ginny, my girlfriend,*" Braeden replied.  
  
"*What about the rest of them?*" the girl asked.  
  
"*You've got Alicia, Angelina and Katie, the chasers, Ron, Ginny's brother and a reserve. Harry, the seeker, Fred and George Ginny's other brothers and the beaters and Hermione, my cousin, Fred's girlfriend and the trainer,*" Braeden pointed to each person as he said the names.  
  
"Now how about some English introductions for us," Fred requested.  
  
"Certainly," Braeden complied. "You've got Genevieve, Luc and Alexandre, our chasers, Giovanni and Marius, our beaters, and of course you've met our darling seeker, Calliope."  
  
"*Offer them seats,*" Genevieve admonished.  
  
"*They can have mine,*" Alexandre declared. He jumped up, grabbed his mostly full plate and headed off to the other side of the hall.  
  
"*I hardly think all five of them can fit in once seat,*" Giovanni called to Alexandre's retreating back.  
  
"*Don't be daft,*" Genevieve laughed, smacking Giovanni playfully on his arm. "*Ginny can always share Braeden's.*" Braeden didn't hear the chasers comment, as he was busy locating chairs for Hermione, Harry, Ron and Fred.  
  
"Do any of you speak French?" Genevieve asked in broken English.  
  
"*Me,*" Hermione said. "*Malfoy does also, but don't try to let the twins convince you they can.*"  
  
"*Yes, Calliope said they made a statement about beauty, toothless rats, and last Thursday,*" Genevieve laughed.  
  
"*Yes, those are our twins,*" Hermione said.  
  
"*Quite glad our twins aren't like that,*" Genevieve quipped. She took a sip of the contents of her goblet.  
  
"*You guys have twins?*" Hermione questioned.  
  
"*Vieve and Gio are twins,*" Luc explained,.  
  
"Someone care to fill us in on what's being said?" Ron asked.  
  
"Basically just a revelation that Genevieve and Giovanni are twins," Braeden explained.  
  
"This language barrier thing sucks sweaty donkey bollocks!" Fred announced.  
  
"Sweaty donkey bollocks?" Genevieve questioned in her shaky English.  
  
"*Definitely a Fred-ism,*" Braeden laughed. He pulled up the last chair. Fred and Hermione took the pair of seats between Marius and Luc. Ginny sat between Braeden and Genevieve. Angelina sat next to Genevieve with Katie on her other side. George sat between Katie and Alicia, who sat next to Luc. Harry and Ron slid into the chairs between Giovanni and Marius.  
  
"So who was that other guy?" Harry asked  
  
"Alexandre. Our third chaser and Calliope's best friend," Braeden explained.  
  
"*What's up with the windows?*" Hermione asked. "*Do they show the history of Beauxbatons?*"  
  
"*Do you really think Beauxbatons is old enough to have this much history?*" Maruis asked, looking around at the windows surrounding the group. "*In fact, they show the history of the magical world.*" Hermione quickly translated for the benefit of her friends.  
  
"*Hey wait, are you Harry Potter?*" Genevieve asked. Hermione and Braeden both began to translate, but Harry held his hand up to stop it.  
  
"Did she just ask if I'm Harry Potter?" Harry questioned. The two Granger's both nodded.  
  
"Then yes, I am Harry Potter," Harry replied. He pushed his bangs off of his forehead to show his scar to Genevieve.  
  
"*Wow! I've got something to show you then!*" Genevieve squealed. She sprang to her feet and turned to Harry. Hermione quickly translated for the girl. Harry stood up too. Genevieve took off across the hall. Harry turned to Hermione and shrugged.  
  
"I need translation," Harry said. Hermione stood and followed her friend and the French chaser across the hall.  
  
"What is it?" Harry, then Hermione asked when they caught up with Genevieve. Genevieve wordlessly pointed to a section of one of the windows. Harry and Hermione stepped closer for a better look. A tall black glass figure pointed a wand and shot a green glass spell towards a tiny glass baby with messy black hair. The spell bounced off of the baby and caused the wizard to fall to the ground in shards. The entire frame froze for a moment before the wizard rebuilt itself.  
  
"*You,*" Genevieve finally said. Harry smiled at the tiny baby.  
  
"That's got to be one of the," he paused for a moment. "Most interesting things I've ever seen."  
  
"*Thought you'd think so,*" Genevieve responded.  
  
"Hey guys," Hermione quickly repeated her sentence in French. "There is a little blonde kid over at the table and it looks like the Beauxbatons team is finishing their lunch."  
  
"*That's Allegra. She's the team manager,*" Genevieve explained.  
  
"Allegra?" Hermione questioned.  
  
"*Calliope's little sister,*" Genevieve called over her shoulder and she headed back towards the table. Harry and Hermione followed her closely.  
  
"Wow that family likes happy names," Hermione laughed.  
  
"What?" Harry asked.  
  
"Calliope has a little sister named Allegra," Hermione explained. Harry clamped his right hand to his mouth to keep the laughter from escaping.  
  
"*What's happening?*" Genevieve asked as she approached the Beauxbatons' team table.  
  
"*Practice!*" the tiny girl announced.  
  
"Hermione, Harry, this is Allegra Lestat, our manager," Braeden said.  
  
"Hi!" Allegra said, waving brightly at the pair. "I'm quite sorry but I must steal your lunch companions away for their Quidditch practice," Allegra's accent hung thick in her words.  
  
"You speak English?" Fred asked, mouth open wide to express his disbelief.  
  
"Of course," Allegra chirped. "Mother and Father insisted we all learn, so I did. Calliope rebelled though."  
  
"Calliope is your sister?" George asked. Grey-green eyes flickered downwards and Allegra nodded slightly.  
  
"*It's okay kid, we don't hold it against you,*" Braeden insisted. Allegra's face brightened visibly as she smiled up at the keeper.  
  
"*I must go pry my sister from the new boy's arse. Head down to the pitch so Coach doesn't get mad,*" Allegra babbled. "It was nice meeting you all." With that, Allegra turned on her heel and hurried off to her sister's table, dirty blonde hair streaming behind her.  
  
"And that's our little Allegra," Braeden laughed. Luc ran a hand over his curls.  
  
"*I'd date her if she wasn't 12," he declared.  
  
*****  
  
"Welcome to Transfiguration with Professor Nymphadora Tonks," Tonks announced, looking out at the eleven students seated before her. "You can call me Tonks."  
  
"What do you know about Transfiguration?" Draco challenged. He crossed his left hand across his body and grasped the cast covering his right elbow. Tonks chewed twice on the piece of gum caught between her teeth and took the top of her nose in her right index finger and thumb. She closed her eyes and filled her cheeks with air. When she opened her eyes again, the person standing before the class was about four and a half feet tall. She was exceptionally pale, with sparkling brown eyes and almost white blonde hair. Her four-inch long hair stuck out from her head in corkscrew curls in every direction. Her thin nose could have been transposed with Draco's own. She winked one of her brown eyes before turning into Tonk's usual pink-haired blue-eyed form.  
  
"Any more questions, Draco?" she drew the name into four syllables rather than two. Draco shook his head and leveled an icy glare on the teacher.  
  
"So what would you like to learn about transfiguration?" Tonks asked, folding her hand sin front of her and leaning against the desk.  
  
"Animagi!" Fred and George chorused.  
  
"Are you daft?" Tonks asked. "If I taught you lot the animagi transfiguration it'd look like a reunion of the wives of Henry VIII by the time the ministry finished collecting my heads!"  
  
"Just because!" Hermione spoke up, rising her seat. Then she fell back against the chair. "Nevermind."  
  
"Any other requests?" Tonks asked. "What did Bill teach you?"  
  
"Invisibility!" The class chorused.  
  
"Oh. He mentioned something about that. Go ahead then, let's see," the older girl urged. Harry and Hermione quickly faded from view while Fred's hands disappeared.  
  
"So some of you did manage it! Fantastic!" Tonks crowed. Proud smiles appeared on Harry and Hermione's faces at they faded back to visibility.  
  
"I know!" Tonks decided. "Let's change lead into gold!"  
  
"You need a philosopher's stone," Harry, Ron and Hermione chorused. Tonks stood and walked towards the chalkboard.  
  
"Suppose there was another way," she proposed.  
  
*****  
  
"No, you don't understand. Matter can be neither created nor destroyed. Simply transfiguring lead to gold would leave you with spare protons and electrons. It CAN'T HAPPEN!" Hermione screeched.  
  
"Hermione dear, Theoretical Alchemy here, not Muggle Chemistry. Calm yourself," Tonks instructed. Hermione exhaled deeply and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Her flushed face was a perfect indicator of how immersed she had been in her subject.  
  
The door of the classroom banged open and instantly a thick black fell over the room. Three chairs clattered backwards, crashing on the floor in the inky darkness. Seconds after the chairs fell; spells began flying across the room, cutting bright streaks through the blackness.  
  
"Stupefy!" a male voice shouted.  
  
"Wingardium Leviosa!" came a female voice. The male voice shouted another spell followed by two more from the female voice. A different female voice fired off several spells of her won. Harry felt a cool hand on his left ankle.  
  
"What should we do?" he heard Hermione's soft slightly panicked voice ask.  
  
"We could go invisible," Harry suggested.  
  
"And leave me here as bloody wand fodder?" Ron queried. "I think not!" His voice sounded from just to Harry and Hermione's right, closer to the wall than the first pair. Spells still whizzed overhead, sending dim flashes of light raining down over the students. A table rocked hard on the floor, followed by the soft thud of a body falling. Two more spells and the rattling sound of the unbalanced desk ripped unceasingly through the room.  
  
"Stunners on three," Harry finally said, speaking normally above the shaking desks. "All three towards the back wall. One. Two. Tree." The boy didn't wait for visual confirmation from his friends, as he couldn't see either of them. At the word three, the trio of friends scrambled to their feet. Ron backed against the wall. Hermione stepped in front of him, allowing him space to fire over her head. Harry stood in close to them.  
  
"STUPEFY!" the trio roared. Stunners ripped from the tips of their wands. Two fell useless against the back wall, while flashes of light from the back right corner ceased. Instantly the other attacker turned his attention to the trio. Harry hastily shoved Hermione to the floor. Ron caught his right foot on her right shoulder as he attempted to dive out of the way. He fell to the floor, pulling two desks with him in a cacophonous crash that echoed over the spell-caused noise. Harry quickly fired off two more stunners before stepping back against the wall, crouching down and fading into invisibility. He slowly began crawling around fallen desk, bags, and scattered books. He crawled past a barely visible fallen Ron before quickly jumping to his feet and firing off two more spells.  
  
"Stupefy!" a voice from the front of the room roared. The spell caught Harry in the back of his neck and he pitched forward, smashing his face into a desk.  
  
"We need to drop something on his head," Fred hissed to George, when Harry hitting the desk reached their ears. Angelina had fallen between the pair, victim to one of the earliest spells. The twins sat crouched to either side of her body. Katie and Alicia took cover in the next row, all four occasionally popping up to fire a spell or two at the male attacker on the back wall.  
  
"I've got a better idea," George said. "Where is everyone else?"  
  
"At least two down in Ron's direction, the five of use are here. Somehow I bet Hermione and Ginny are sitting around Harry and Ron's fallen arses," Fred explained. "And the girls are smart enough to stay down. Who really cares about Malfoy and Sanguinis?"  
  
"Good point. Do you remember the product we were testing just before coming here?" Before George could finish outlining his plan, the lights flashed on.  
  
"Nobody move!" Bill roared form the doorway. He quickly surveyed the room, casting a quick restoring spell in Bella's direction. She climbed to her feet and joined Bill in his silent survey. Bella finally broke the silence.  
  
"Ron?" she asked, eyes falling on the youngest Weasley boy who still lay on the ground entangled in the pair of desks. "What happened?"  
  
"I was trying to dive over Hermione and I fell," Ron admitted, turning as red as the house crest on his robes. Bella smiled and nodded while Bill flat out roared with laughter at his youngest brother.  
  
"Points to all of you on the floor," Bella said. "Smart idea in an attack, although serious attackers will have someone firing spells at ground level. We just didn't have enough man power for that because Oliver is off spying on the Quidditch team." The seventh years all nodded. William had sought refuge under a desk a few meters closer to the door. Ginny was under a desk next to the catastrophe that was Ron.  
  
"Ron, despite the fact that you did it completely by accident, your desks would serve as shields, which is quite a good idea," Bella said, smiling down at her youngest brother-in-law.  
  
"Can I move now?" he questioned.  
  
"Certainly," Bella replied. She turned to the resident Gryffindor bookworm. "Smart idea Hermione, being against the wall and all. You don't have to worry about being attacked from the back, however you will need to watch for spells that would attach you to the wall." Bella turned completely to the other side of the room.  
  
"And Mr. Malfoy. Absolutely brilliant!" she announced. The entire class followed her gaze towards the ceiling. Malfoy smirked down at the room from a perch atop a bookshelf. "How did you get up there?"  
  
"I climbed," Draco replied. "One armed."  
  
"Impressive," Arabella admitted. Bill and Tonks nodded their agreement while the Gryffindors simply scowled.  
  
"Where is Harry?" Bill asked. Blue eyes quickly scanned the room for a glimpse of the Boy Who Lived. Bella and Hermione began a slightly panicked visual search. Tonks simply fired a Finite Incantatem at a desk one over from Ginny's. Harry slowly faded into view.  
  
"How did you know?" Bill questioned.  
  
"Blood smudged on the book and the thought that his new skill is invisibility," Tonks shrugged. Harry lay face down in a pool of quickly congealing blood, slumped over the desk, completely unconscious.  
  
"I think I hit him with a stunner," Tonks said.  
  
"Way to go Tonks, kill our seeker why don't you? Especially since our spare is broken!" Fred cried.  
  
"I am not a spare!" Draco insisted indignantly, still sitting on the bookshelf. Bill quickly revived Harry.  
  
"By node hurts!" came Harry's first sentence. He stood slowly and clamped his hands to his swollen, still bleeding nose.  
  
"Tonks stunned you and you planted your face in the desk," Bill explained.  
  
'Dat's nice," Harry mumbled. "Herbidey, care to heal me?" Blood had begun to trail through his fingers. Hermione jumped up and grabbed her wand. She closed the short distance between herself and her friend.  
  
"Let's see," Hermione said, pulling Harry's hands away from his face.  
  
"Are you sure you dow what you're doi-g?" Harry jokingly asked.  
  
"Of course!" Hermione and Draco chorused. "Merlin knows I've (she's) had enough practice!" the twins laughed uproariously at Hermione and Draco's unison speaking, warranting a glare from Draco. Hermione simply shot an evil look up at the Malfoy. She then quickly cast several spells on Harry to mend his nose and stop the bleeding, as well as clean the bloody mess.  
  
"Good thing I wasn't wearing my glasses," Harry declared. He sniffed twice; experimentally testing his nose to make sure everything was in proper working order.  
  
"Fantastic," Bella said. "Take your seats. Welcome to Defense Against the Dark Arts!"  
  
"Can someone get me down?"  
  
*****  
  
"How was practice?" Angelina asked as Genevieve crashed into the chair next to the tall chaser.  
  
"It sucked sweaty donkey balls," Genevieve declared. "*Did she ask about practice?*"  
  
"*Yes,*" Braeden replied.  
  
"She used my phrase!" Fred exclaimed. Braeden slid into a chair next to Ginny. Luc and Marius fell into chairs between Braeden and Hermione and Giovanni took a seat between Katie and Alicia. Allegra bounced into the seat between Luc and Marius.  
  
"*You guys look about like these guys after practice, only they usually fall into a pile in the common room floor,*" Hermione laughed.  
  
"*How many of you are in the same house?*" Luc questioned.  
  
"*All of us,*" Hermione said, waving her hand around the table to indicate everyone seated.  
  
"Your entire house team made the school team?" Braeden questioned. All of the Gryffindors nodded sagely.  
  
"You all must be fantastic!" Allegra squeaked.  
  
"How many of you are seventh years?" Braeden questioned. The chasers and the Weasley twins raised their hands. Allegra began babbling French in a furious translation of the conversation.  
  
"Wow," Braeden said.  
  
"Which houses are you all in?" Alicia questioned.  
  
"Luc, Genevieve, Allegra and I are in the same house, as are Marius and Giovanni. Then Calliope and Alex are in the third house," Braeden explained.  
  
"Does Allegra play Quidditch?" Ginny questioned.  
  
"Yes!" The little girl exclaimed. "I'm the house seeker and will be the school seeker when Calliope graduates!" Braeden muttered a translation for his friends.  
  
"*Don't get cocky,*" Luc warned.  
  
"*Luc, you know our seeker stinks worse than your robes after Quidditch practice. And Allegra and Calliope have yet to compete so Allegra may in fact be better than Calliope,*" Marius said. Luc gave an experimental sniff at his robes.  
  
"You guys are practicing after this meal?" Braeden questioned.  
  
"Yes," Angelina responded. "From after this meal until Captain Blood says stop."  
  
"Wouldn't he be Coach Blood now?" Katie asked.  
  
"Captain, coach, whatever. The boy is evil," Angelina declared.  
  
"Why wouldn't you know captain from coach?" Allegra questioned.  
  
"He was captain of our house team from third year until fifth year, and now he's our coach," Katie explained.  
  
"Wow your house really dominates the school team," Allegra said.  
  
"*Look at that. It's simply revolting!*" Genevieve declared. She nodded to where Calliope, Draco, Alex and Sanguinis sat. Draco had his left arm around Calliope's thin shoulders. She had both elbows on the table, fingers intertwined. Her chin rested on her fingers and she looked up at Draco, captured by every word he spoke as he babbled away in French.  
  
"Gag me," Allegra agreed. She shook her Calliope-like blonde hair away from her face and turned back to her meal. Marius reached over and clamped both hands over Allegra's ears. Luc watched until the girl's ears were satisfactorily covered.  
  
"*Calliope is the school broom,*" Luc said. "*Everyone's had a ride.*" He raised his eyebrows twice in quick succession. Braeden quickly translated for the Hogwarts students, and Marius let go of Allegra's ears.  
"*I heard that Lucien Dumas!*" Allegra cried. "*Not that I don't agree with you. But still, she is my sister*."  
  
"*We don't hold it against you,*" Luc said, dropping an arm around Allegra's shoulders. Ginny spooned the last bit of her desert into her mouth and leaned over to drop a kiss on Braeden's nose.  
  
"I've got to round the team up for practice now. Will I see you afterwards?" she asked.  
  
"Certainly," Braeden said. "We've got to have Valentines Day before you go back tomorrow! Meet me just outside here at 11." Ginny smiled sweetly at her boyfriend and kissed his nose again. Then she stood, collected her bag, and headed off for Calliope and Draco's table.  
  
"Practice in five," she called over her shoulder to the teammates she was leaving. Braeden smiled stupidly after her.  
  
"*Tonight, on your date, speak French,*" Luc advised. "*It is, after all, the language of love."  
  
*****  
  
"Well team," Oliver looked at the group of teenagers surrounding him. "As it's the last practice before the match that could make or break the series, I thought we'd have a little fun."  
  
"Who are you?" Angelina asked. "And what have you done with the real Oliver?" Katie and Alicia laughed while Fred and George tried to wipe the looks of disbelief off of their identical faces.  
  
"I'm serious. I think it should be fun, so I've arranged a team for the lot of you to scrimmage."  
  
"Scrimmage?" Katie squeaked.  
  
"Yes, scrimmage," Oliver replied. "So with out further ado, I introduce your practice team!" Oliver quickly charmed his voice to a magnified level. "Beaters Ginny Weasley and Ron Weasley, chasers Tonks, Arabella Weasley, and Hermione Granger."  
  
"HERMIONE!!" Harry and Fred chorused. Oliver smiled and nodded at the boys.  
  
"Seeker Bill Weasley! And keeper, ME!" Five figures dressed in silvery robes rocketed onto the pitch. Oliver quickly charmed his robes to the same silvery color and hopped on his broom to join them in the air. A seventh figure jogged onto the pitch clutching a broom tightly in her hand.  
  
"Hermione," Harry and Fred laughed.  
  
"And your referee!" Oliver boomed from his position in the air. "Draco Malfoy!"  
  
"What do we do?" Angelina asked, instantly turning towards the twins for advice.  
  
"Play Quidditch. Draco will probably call for them, so don't do anything too dirty," Fred said.  
  
"Win," George added.  
  
"CAPTAINS!" Draco roared from the center of the field.  
  
"Go twins," Alicia instructed.  
  
"Nah," Fred said.  
  
"We don't wanna," George added.  
  
"Go Lina," Fred said. Angelina grabbed her broom and headed off towards Malfoy. Bill spiraled down from the sky to land neatly next to the seeker turned keeper turned ref.  
  
"Shake hands," Draco commanded. Bill's team landed neatly behind him, and Hermione mounted her broom on the far left. The remainder of the Hogwarts team gathered behind Angelina. Oliver raised a quizzical eyebrow at the twins before glancing at Angelina. The pair simply shrugged and mounted their brooms. The rest of the team followed suit as Angelina and Bill shook hands.  
  
"I want a good clean game. There are a few modifications to the rules of this game. Avoid the referee at all costs," Oliver called from the back of his team. "I don't want him permanently broken."  
  
"WILL YOU LOT QUIT CALLING ME BROKEN!" Draco roared.  
  
"Sorry," Oliver muttered.  
  
"On the sound of my whistle," Draco said. He leaned down and opened up the crate. The bludgers sprang out and hovered just over his head. The snitch circled Bill's head once, then Harry's head once, before taking off into the upper levels of the pitch. Draco picked up the quaffle and flung it straight into the air, blowing his whistle as loudly as he could at the same time. Fourteen brooms shot off of the ground. Hermione chose to hover exactly 2 meters from the grass. Tonks grabbed the quaffle practically out of Alicia's hands and rocketed towards the Hogwarts goal before the seventh year chaser could fully process what had happened. Tonks serpentined between Fred, George and Harry before the boys could do anything to stop her. Harry continued his flight upwards to observe the field from above. The twins chased after their younger siblings to try to steal the pair of bludgers that Ron and Ginny commandeered. Tonks did a quick vertical roll that took her under Katie's broom before slipping past Angelina to fling the quaffle through the right goal while William arranged himself in front of the left.  
  
"Goal!" Draco declared. William retrieved the ball and threw it out to Katie. Katie caught the ball but was almost immediately removed from her broom by a well-placed bludger courtesy of Ron.  
  
"RON!" Oliver screeched from his goals. "DON'T KILL HER BEFORE TOMORROW!" The quaffle tumbled from Katie's fingers and Tonks immediately scooped it up and shot back towards the Hogwarts goal. Fred aimed the bludger at the woman. She dodged the bludger but had to pass the quaffle off to Arabella. Bella easily caught the ball and sped towards the Hogwarts goal. She looked to her right for the third chaser, but Hermione still hovered mere meters from the ground, clinging to her broom with a death grip. Bella gave a small, barely noticeable shrug before flying the quaffle around Angelina and faking right. William bought the fake and Arabella flung the ball through the center goal.  
  
"GOAL!" Draco cried. "The score is 20-0 in favor of Oliver's All-Star team!" William retrieved the ball again. He flung it to Angelina.  
  
"COVER ME!" she screeched. Fred was in possession of one of the bludgers. He cracked it down field directly in Angelina's path, causing Ginny to flit out of the way. Angelina flattened herself against the broom handle, quaffle tucked under her right arm. She shot down the field in a blur of red practice robes and dark brown braids. Ron all but had to jump off of his broom to get out of her way. Tonks attempted to catch up with her, but the metamorphmagus was no match for the seventh year.  
  
"GOAL! Hogwarts!" Draco cried before Angelina had fully stopped. Oliver tossed the quaffle to Tonks, who instantly started down the field towards Sanguinis. Fred ad George both cracked bludgers at the girl, but both balls missed their marks by margins that could only be blamed on Fred and George's bad aim. Tonks skillfully dodged Alicia and sped into the scoring area. She flung the ball at William. He blocked the shot so she grabbed the rebound and fired it back at the keeper. This time the Quaffle slipped through William's fingers and into the center goal. William retrieved the ball and passed it to Angelina. Angelina tossed it to Alicia who quickly threw it off to Katie. Katie passed it back to Angelina. The tall girl bobbled the ball momentarily before losing control of it completely. It spiraled towards the pitch and directly into Arabella's waiting hands. The auror sped directly for Katie and Alicia causing the two girls to careen out of the way. When she approached the scoring area, she committed to the left goal. William mirrored her action. At the last possible second, Bella pulled her broom straight up to avoid entering the scoring area. At the same time she flung the ball wildly to her right. In a move more typical for blocking goals than scoring them, Tonks punched the Quaffle and it sailed through the right goal.  
  
"40-10! Oliver's All Stars!" Draco cried. William pitched the ball out to Alicia. Alicia grabbed the red leather ball and hunched over her broom handle. She sped towards the other goal, narrowly dodging one of Fred's bludgers gone awry.  
  
"What is wrong with them?" Bill asked, pulling his broom up even with Harry's.  
  
"They don't appear to be on their game at all," Harry replied, watching as George nearly fell off his broom attempting to dodge a well- placed bludger from Ginny. The seeker shook his head and shrugged.  
  
"For the sake of a couple of their futures, they better be on their games tomorrow," Bill muttered.  
  
"Surely Oliver won't kill us if we're bad!" Harry cried.  
  
"No," Bill replied, "But a certain set of twins and an Angelina have scouts from the Cannons, Puddlemere, and Holyhead coming to watch them."  
  
"Three teams?" Harry asked, jaw dropping with disbelief.  
  
"Yep! The Cannons want the twins. Holyhead wants Angelina, and Puddlemere is looking at Angelina and one of the twins, not sure which though," Bill explained. Harry shrugged, scanning the field for the snitch.  
  
"What will your mum say if the twins decide to play profession Quidditch?" Harry questioned.  
  
"GOAL!" Draco screeched. "70-20!"  
  
"She's only going to be happy if they follow in Percy's footsteps minus the whole eloping bit. Their best bet will be to ignore her," Bill laughed. The conversation paused as the pair of seekers watched Alicia drop yet another quaffle and George aim a bludger at Arabella that almost his Angelina, who was most certainly flying behind him. Harry's grip on his broom tightened as he imagined Oliver's rage at their miserable playing.  
  
"I think Oliver may very well be having a coronary," Bill echoed Harry's thoughts. He pointed down at the young coach. Oliver had a hand on each side of his head. He alternated between watching the game and closing his eyes to keep out the sight.  
  
"Uh-oh," Harry muttered, pointing to the stands just behind Oliver's goals. Two people sat on the first bench.  
  
"Who is it?" Bill questioned.  
  
"Looks like Calliope and Alexandre, the Beauxbatons seeker and a chaser," Harry explained. The conversation paused as the pair of seekers watching Tonks fling another goal past William.  
  
"Where did she get to be so good?" Harry questioned.  
  
"As spastic and clumsy as Tonks is, she's always been a bloody good chaser. Slytherin held the house cup for the six years she was eligible to play, mostly because of her. Several professional teams including Falmouth and Puddlemere recruited her but she opted for auror training instead," Bill explained.  
  
"Tonks was a Slythrein?" Harry questioned, ignoring Bill's comments about Puddlemere and Foulmouth.  
  
"Certainly," Bill replied. Harry froze as he spotted something glimmering near William's goals. He immediately pulled his broom in a fast but shallow dive. Alicia, in possession of the quaffle, passed the ball off to Katie. Harry buzzed past Kate with Bill right on his tail. Katie didn't see them coming. Their speed and the element of surprise caused her to drop the ball. It spiraled quickly towards the pitch. Angelina raced towards it. All four Weasley beaters remained frozen in the air as they watched decent of the ball.  
  
"HERMIONE!" Fred finally screeched. The girl finally looked up in enough time to throw her hands in front of her face. The quaffle smashed into her arms, pitching her off her broom, two meters to the ground.  
  
"Hermione," Fred said again, though this time the name sounded more like a desperate cry than a warning shout. He lowered his broom towards his fallen girlfriend at a high rate of speed.  
  
Neither Harry nor Bill noticed the commotion going on with Hermione. The pair chased after the elusive snitch. The ball wove in and out of the goal posts several times before pausing as if to decide which way to go next. Harry took this moment to close his hand around the tiny gold ball. He pulled his broom to a stop and waved the snitch over his head.  
  
"I've got it!" he called. Only then did he notice the huddle of people on the pitch. In fact only Bill and himself remained in the air.  
  
"What did we miss?" Bill asked, sliding to a halt next to Harry. Harry pointed towards the huddle with the snitch.  
  
"Who is it?" Bill asked.  
  
"Hermione!" Harry finally realized. "My best friend's knocked out and here I am worrying about the snitch!" Without releasing the tiny ball, Harry shot towards the group.  
  
"INCOMING!" he shouted as he drew near. Angelina and Katie parted, allowing Harry to land his broom just next to the core of the group. Fred sat on the pitch with Hermione gathered in his arms. Ron and Oliver both crouched next to her. Harry tumbled to his knees next to Ron.  
  
"I'm perfectly fine!" Hermione declared, glaring up at her boyfriend, two best friends, and coach. She struggled to release herself from Fred's grip. Harry held the snitch out to Oliver.  
  
"Are you sure you're okay?" Oliver asked, absentmindedly taking the ball from Harry.  
  
"I'm perfectly fine," Hermione insisted again. She shoved Fred away and sat up on her own. "See. Fine! I'll probably have bruises in the morning but I'll deal!" Oliver looked down at the tiny ball struggling in his hand.  
  
"Oh my, I've caught the snitch! What's the penalty for a snitch nip, Malfoy?" the coach asked in all seriousness.  
  
"Oliver, I caught the snitch. I handed it to you. The game is over. We win, 170-90," Harry explained.  
  
"Yes, about that," Oliver said, springing into coach mode. He jumped to his feet and turned to face his gathered team.  
  
"Weasley!" he barked. Before the six gathered Weasleys could request specification, Oliver added, "Ron!"  
  
"Yes sir," Ron said, standing up to face his coach. He straightened his robe and dusted himself off.  
  
"Get ready because you're starting tomorrow," Oliver said. Ron tried to control the smile threatening to break across his face.  
  
"But sir," William began.  
  
"Sanguinis!" Oliver shouted. "My grandmother could keep better than that and she' s a quadriplegic! No wait." The coach paused. "She's DEAD!" Sanguinis took a step back, startled look shining in his blue eyes.  
  
"If we had a full reserve team, I'd play them all except seeker tomorrow! Harry, good job." Harry nodded his thanks.  
  
"Seriously guys," Oliver continued his ran. He tossed his broom to the ground in attempt to emphasize how serious he was. "You are supposed to be the best players in Hogwarts, but right now I think I'd have more luck playing Harry's fan club!"  
  
"I have a fan club?" Harry asked, looking up at Ron.  
  
"If you do, Colin Creevey's president," Ron whispered with a smile. Hermione shook her head at the two boys.  
  
"Chasers!" The three girls jumped to a semblance of attention. "You lot flew better when I recruited you as second years than you did tonight! Please, keep your hands away from the butter tomorrow at lunch." The three girls nodded and looked at their shoes, properly apologetic.  
  
"Fred and George!" Oliver turned on the remaining members of the team. The twins jumped to their feet and held their arms tightly to their sides. They stood with their feet together and backs as straight as they could get.  
  
"Now is NOT the time for joking!" Oliver shouted. "You both played dismally! Your LITTLE SISTER outplayed you!"  
  
"Hey!" interjected Ginny.  
  
"No offense, Gin," Oliver said.  
  
"None taken," Ginny replied.  
  
"Back to the point!" Oliver said. "If I didn't have to play Ron as keeper tomorrow, I would play him and Ginny instead of you lot!"  
  
"You don't have to play Ron as keeper," George said. Fred jerked an elbow into his side, which effectively silenced the boy.  
  
"Did you miss Sanguinis's dismal performance. Playing anyone but Ron at keeper would be a recipe for disaster! Tomorrow may very well determine the course of some of your LIVES!" Oliver cried.  
  
"Don't' you think that's a little overly dramatic there Wood?" Fred asked. "I mean really, the match is important, but lives?"  
  
"Yes, lives," Oliver replied. Fred raised his eyebrows at George who only shrugged in response. "Now I was watching the Beauxbatons team practice earlier. They're good, but they're not unbeatable. However, if you all play like you just did, it will be a repeat of Durmstrang. It seems as though all of the Quidditch skill in the Granger family went to Braeden," Oliver flashed a quick smile at Hermione. She leveled an evil glare on him. "The boy is, there is no other word for it, good. I've only seen three others comparable to him at this age, and two of them are on the team." All three keepers beamed proudly. Oliver didn't bother to say which two he was referring too.  
  
"Was the other our coach?" Fred asked.  
  
"That's beside the point," Oliver spat. "Granger is a very skillful keeper." He held his hands out to his sides, palms to the air and shrugged a bit. "But he's no match for our keepers if they're playing to form. They do, after all, train with a professional."  
  
"Pep talk, not brag about your Quidditch skills time," Fred reminded the coach. Oliver glared down at the boy.  
  
"Their chasers are okay, but there seems to be some sort of resentment or animosity between one of them and the other two," Oliver explained. "It's like the boy with curly brown hair and the girl against the other boy. The real thing you're going to have to watch for is the combo of one of their beaters and their girl chaser. It seems as though they're telepathic. I've never seen anything like them except maybe the Weasley twins."  
  
"That's because they're the D'Angelo twins," George muttered.  
  
"That explains it then," Oliver said. "So be sure to watch for that. And Harry, their seeker is not the greatest. She flies a Nimbus 2001, which isn't a bad broom but no match for the Firebolt." Ron, Hermione and Harry all cast sidelong glances at Malfoy.  
  
"Any questions?"  
  
"Is this it?" George asked.  
  
"Nope," Oliver said. "Run five laps for sucking. Then that's it," Oliver said. The nine team members looked at him, disbelief evident on their faces. "I'm serious guys. And all of you have to run. That includes you Draco. Win as a team, lose as a team!" With that, the coach turned on his heel and walked from the pitch.  
  
"This bloody sucks," Ron grumbled as he started off around the pitch. The rest of the team nodded their agreement and followed him.  
  
*****  
  
"Are you sure you're okay?" Harry asked, flopping onto the bed next to Hermione. He stretched out over the end of the bed and placed his hands on the edge, one on top of each other. He rested his chin on his hands and looked up to the head of the bed where Hermione sat. Ron was sprawled across Ginny's bed in the room the two girls shared.  
  
"I'm fine, Harry. I wasn't that far off the ground and it just hit my arms. When I fell I landed flat on my back and I'm perfectly okay," Hermione assured him. Harry blinked his earnest green eyes twice before turning to look at Ron.  
  
"What did you think about practice?" he asked.  
  
"I get to play tomorrow! William doesn't! I'm bloody happy it sucked!" Ron cheered. He had his left arm flung over his head and his right foot hung off the edge of the bed.  
  
"What if we're that bad tomorrow?" Harry questioned.  
  
"Harry man, I'm playing. We won't be that bad tomorrow," Ron joked.  
  
"Don't be cocky," Hermione scolded.  
  
"I'm not as cocky as Allegra was," Ron said.  
  
"That kid is amusing," Harry mumbled.  
  
"She reminds me of Astrid," Ron admitted. Harry and Hermione nodded their agreement.  
  
"Speaking of Astrid, I've done some research on animagi transformation," Hermione announced. "And don't ask. That segue made perfect sense in my head."  
  
"She was there when we came up with the idea. It's reasonable that she would remind you of it," Ron said. Hermione ran a hand through her bushy brown hair.  
  
"Thanks. Anyway. I used Astrid's pass and got a couple of books out of the library. I don't know if we're going to be able to do this," Hermione said, looking down at her feet.  
  
"Hermione, has that ever stopped us before?" Harry questioned, moving so he could look over his shoulder up at his best friend. Hermione gave a small shrug.  
  
"Hermione, if someone as stupid as Rita Skeeter could do it, then why won't we be able to?" Ron asked.  
  
"And if my father taught Sirius how to do it, then I'm certain you'll be able to teach me and Ron and Astrid," Harry added.  
  
"Well we've got one problem already," Hermione said.  
  
"What's that?" Ron asked. He moved his arm away from his head and rolled over on his side to face his friends.  
  
"We need a practice area, and a really big one at that," Hermione said. "If one of us turns into something particularly large or dangerous, we need a place big enough for that. We also need it to be inaccessible to everyone else, and so out of the way that if we accidentally tear up something, it won't be too much of a problem. Then there is the issue of the ghosts. What if they catch us and turn us in? I mean we can't very well do the entire transfiguration under the invisibility cloak."  
  
"Hermione, you're rambling," Ron cut his friend off.  
  
"She's right though, where are we going to find a room that meets all of those specifications?" Harry questioned.  
  
"There is an attic to Gryffindor, but I think Leah practices dance up there, and it isn't really that big," Hermione said. She pulled her knees tighter to her chest and sank deeper into her pillows.  
  
"Empty classrooms are out of the question," Harry said. "What about Fluffy's lair."  
  
"Are you kidding?" Ron asked. He sat straight up on the bed and looked at his best friend. "Every since you and Jason and Sawyer charmed that bed in the corner, Mandy and I haven't been able to go back because it's constantly occupied!" Harry suppressed a laugh.  
  
"Taking over for the astronomy tower then?" Harry questioned. Ron nodded.  
  
"We could always try to do it right under everyone's noses and hope we don't get caught," Hermione suggested.  
  
"I personally don't see how you're the boy who lived," Ron jokingly declared. "You're so bloody thick. And you!" he pointed to Hermione. "You're the school genius! It seems as though the two of you would think of this!"  
  
"Think of what?" Harry questioned.  
  
"Nothing except the rather large room way under the school that only Harry can open!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
"The Chamber of Secrets!" Harry and Hermione chorused.  
  
"Yes," Ron said, nodding slowly at his friends, shooting them disbelieving looks the entire time.  
  
"Ron, you're bloody brilliant!" Harry cried. He ran his hand through his wet black hair, flicking water over on Hermione.  
  
"Don't you know any drying charms?" Hermione asked, eyeing her friend's soaked black locks.  
  
"They make my hair stick up everywhere," Harry replied with a smile. "Besides, this is more fun." He shook his head rapidly, flinging water towards Hermione and almost to Ron.  
  
"You are insufferable!" Hermione announced, wiping a drop of water from the tip of her nose.  
  
"You love me anyway," Harry said. Ron shook his head at the pair.  
  
"Do you think the chamber will work?" Ron asked.  
  
"Of course. I'll just talk a first year into harassing Moaning Myrtle so she keeps her bathroom flooded," Harry laughed.  
  
"Perfect!" Hermione cried, clapping her hands together.  
  
"Do you really think we should let Astrid in on this?" Ron asked.  
  
"Why not?" Harry questioned. He rolled over so he lay on his back, legs, head and arms hanging off of either side of the bed. His hair fell from his head in a puffy black halo and his face slowly reddened as blood rushed to it.  
  
"She's You-Know-Who's heir's sister!" Ron cried.  
  
"She's one of our closest friends!" Harry countered. "If we can't trust her, who can we trust?"  
  
"This coming from a guy who looks like he took lessons in sitting from Sawyer Lewis, nappy boy extraordinaire," Ron laughed.  
  
"Shove it, Ronald," Harry spat.  
  
"What do you guys really think about the whole heir thing?" Hermione questioned.  
  
"It's scarier than shit," Harry announced. "Because not only am I going to have to kill Voldemort, I'm quite likely going to have to kill the brother of a close friend. Not just the brother but the TWIN brother. Believe it or not, I don't fancy the idea of killing people!"  
  
"Maybe," Hermione began.  
  
"Hermione, seriously," Harry held his arms above his head and pushed them towards his waist to lever himself into a sitting position. He spun to face Hermione and folded his legs beneath him, resting his elbows on his knees and his chin on his fists. "We're in a war. People die in war. For people to die, people must kill. It's the most fucked up thing I've ever heard of, but it's the way things work. And for some reason, big bad wizard has it out for me. I think he needs my head for his trophy wall or something." Harry sprang from the bed and paced towards the wall. He stared at the floor and clenched his fists by his sides.  
  
"Harry," Ron began.  
  
"I don't want to kill Keiran. I don't think killing Voldemort would do anything to my conscience, but Keiran is a kid. He was six years old when a choice was made for him that determined the rest of his life. Killing him for a choice his father made for him has got to be the most ridiculous thing I think I've ever been faced with."  
  
"If you're going to discuss ridiculous, then lets talk about the bloody big snake during second year," Ron muttered.  
  
"Harry, maybe you won't have to kill Keiran," Hermione said. Harry turned on his heel and paced back towards the door. His hair had dried considerably and stood on end more than ever from drying as he hung upside down from the bed.  
  
"But if I don't, who will? One of you? Ginny? Sawyer or Jason? Astrid?" He turned to face his friends as he said the last name. "Point being, I can't ask any of you to do it. Could you imagine if Astrid had to kill her own twin brother?"  
  
"Harry, come here!" Hermione commanded. Harry walked over and stood by the bed next to his friend. "Sit," she said, pointing to a spot just in front of her. Harry turned around and sat on the bed.  
  
"Put your feet up there," Hermione instructed, pointing to the end of the bed. Harry did as he was told, putting his back completely to Hermione. She placed a hand on each of his shoulders and pulled him backwards until his head rested in her lap. She placed three fingers at each of his temples and began moving them in small circles. Harry closed his green eyes. Hermione began speaking softly in a stead voice, directly at her friend.  
  
"We're all in this together," Hermione murmured. "No matter what, we will be here for you. The world is too big for one boy's shoulders but together maybe, just maybe, we can carry it together. Worry solves nothing. It will get you as far in life as letting the Weasley twins sit for exams in your place. So lets not worry, but practice, prepare, and be ready when the time comes." Hermione extended her thumbs down to massage just below Harry's eyes. A small smile pulled across Harry's lips.  
  
"Well said," Ron whispered from Ginny's bed.  
  
"What's our plan?" Harry questioned, not moving under Hermione's touch.  
  
"Hermione will research, you will both master the spells, and I will be the side kick," Ron supplied. Harry's smile grew slightly.  
  
"I'll see what I can find on previous defeats of dark wizards. You know, methods, theories, spells and such. I'll also study muggle wars. And we can start on the Animagus transformation as soon as we get back to school," Hermione offered.  
  
"Harry, we should train harder to get in top physical condition," Ron suggested.  
  
"Yes," Harry slowly agreed. "And I must sharpen my wandless magic skills." Hermione's hands continued their work on Harry's slightly more relaxed face.  
  
"And guys?" Hermione asked, her voice sounding small and scared.  
  
"Yes?" Ron and Harry chorused.  
  
"I know I've got Fred and Harry, you've got Hannah, and Ron, Mandy," Hermione began. She moved her hands from Harry's face and clenched them into nervous fists just above his head.  
  
"Hermione, you have nothing to worry about," Ron assured her.  
  
"Hannah could never begin to take your place," Harry agreed. "Remember, worry will get you no where." He sat up and wrapped his arms around Hermione's shoulders. He ran his hand across her hair several times. She settled her head onto his shoulder and wrapped her arms comfortably around his waist.  
  
"Incoming!" Ron shouted. He jumped twice on Ginny's bed before springing onto Hermione's. He stretched out next to his friends. Hermione pulled away from Harry and curled up next to Ron. Harry laid next to Hermione.  
  
"I don't know what I would do without you guys," Hermione said.  
  
"Study."  
  
*****  
  
"We're seventh years!" Katie said, leaning back against George. The pair sat in the floor in the pseudo common room Beauxbatons had provided the team. Fred and Alicia curled on opposite ends of the slightly uncomfortable couch.  
  
"Really, what tipped you off?" Fred asked, quirking an eyebrow at his brother's girlfriend. George tightened his arms around Katie's waist.  
  
"We won't be coming back to Hogwarts next fall," Alicia muttered.  
  
"Yes, Alicia, that's typically what happens when one finishes all the required time at a place," Fred quipped. He spoke as though Alicia was a particularly dense first year.  
  
"Where's 'Lina? We can't have this conversation without 'Lina," Katie insisted, struggling against George's grip to scan the room for her friend.  
  
"She left earlier to meet a Beauxbatons player," Alicia said, not moving from her spot. Katie re-settled herself against George.  
  
"Do you all remember the first time you ever met me?" Katie questioned.  
  
"I certainly do," Alicia replied. "You were sitting in a compartment all alone and I didn't have anyone to sit with."  
  
Katie giggled. "So you said. Then Angelina came in a minute later and we had a conversation about eye candy." Fred kicked Alicia lightly on the bottom of her foot.  
  
"You were on a search for eye candy even then?" he asked.  
  
"Certainly! Wood helped me with the barrier and I thought he was the cutest thing I'd ever seen! And he was 13 with a racing broom!" Alicia laughed.  
  
"So we spent the first half of the train ride talking about boys. Then we were interrupted when a certain pair of red-headed twins pitched a bag of dung bombs into our compartment." Katie reached behind her and tickled George's side. He released a slightly girly squeal before pushing her hand away.  
  
"Weren't very original back then were we Gred?" George asked.  
  
"Indeed we were not, Forge," Fred replied.  
  
"When did we first meet?" George questioned. Fred smiled mischievously and adjusted the pillow under his head.  
  
"I believe it was when the bird and the bee chose to pollinate the same flower," Fred finally replied. He opened his mouth to continue but Alicia cut him off.  
  
"What exactly are you talking about?" she asked. She tucked a strand of chocolate brown hair behind her ear and dragged her fingernails across the tip of her nose, leaving an angry red mark.  
  
"Dad's attempt at a sex talk," George finally explained.  
  
"He had us so confused by the time we were finished that George was certain Ginny had been hatched and I thought mum picked Ron from under a toadstool in the center of a cabbage patch owned by a Mr. Stork," Fred continued. Both of the girls laughed outright at the boy's explanation.  
  
"Bill finally had to explain it all to us," George finished the story. "We only hope mum did a better job explaining things to Ginny because Bill insisted he wasn't going anywhere near that one."  
  
"What are you two planning after Hogwarts?" Alicia asked; nodding at the twins after her laughter finally subsided.  
  
"Our joke shop," Fred replied. "We'll probably get a flat in London, apparate to the Burrow to eat and then apparate to Lee and Marissa's every night to laugh at him struggle to eat her food while our stomachs are full of mum's good home-cooking."  
  
"And then I'll apparate to see you," George said, nestling a kiss onto Katie's ear.  
  
"Hermione will still be at Hogwarts if we're even still together so I'll only have to worry about that on Hogsmeade weekends," Fred said. "What about you girls?"  
  
"I've got a job with the ministry lined up," Alicia said. "In the Magical Games and Sports Division, Quidditch Department."  
  
"We're getting a flat in London," Katie said. "But I don't know what I'm going to do for work. I don't particularly excel in anything, I mean, like a subject or anything. And without you guys, I'm afraid I'm not that great at Quidditch."  
  
"Oh Katie, you're loyal, dependent, a great friend, a hard worker, eager," Alicia began holding up a finger for each of Katie's good traits that she listed.  
  
"Learn to catch a Quaffle in your teeth and I hear the Menagerie is taking applications for Golden Retrievers," Fred quipped.  
  
"You are not funny Fredrick Bayard Weasley!" Katie screeched, while Alicia planted her heel directly on Fred's shinbone.  
  
"What's Angelina doing?" George asked, trying to ignore his brother's statement about Katie.  
  
"What's Angelina doing where?" A familiar voice asked from the doorway. Angelina stepped over to the chair opposite Fred and Alicia's couch and took a seat. Her lips were slightly swollen and her face had a dark flush to it.  
  
"Uh-oh, Angelina looks as though she's been thoroughly snogged!" Alicia cried in a rather sing-song voice.  
  
"Just because I have a thing for Quidditch playing twins doesn't mean anything," Angelina muttered looking down at her feet.  
  
"Go 'Lina!" Alicia squealed. "Giovanni is hot!"  
  
"Italian too. They live on the border so their parents decided to send the twins here. Their older sister and younger sister go to the Italian school though," Angelina explained. "So what is Angelina doing when?"  
  
"After Hogwarts," Fred prompted. Angelina curled her long legs under her in the seat.  
  
"Flat in London with the girls and hopefully a position as a reserve for a pro Quidditch team," Angelina said.  
  
"And if that falls through you can always be a Golden Retriever with Katie," Fred laughed.  
  
"WHAT?" Angelina asked, shooting inquisitive glances from Katie to Fred to Katie before finally settling on a suspicious look at Fred.  
  
"Add that to the dictionary of Fred, right next to sweaty donkey bollocks," George finally offered in way of explanation.  
  
"You know guys, we're seventh years," she muttered, pulling her tiny braids back and tying them into a ponytail using two of the braids.  
  
"We've been over this," George replied.  
  
"We're not going back to Hogwarts next fall," Angelina tried.  
  
"That too. As well as the fact that Alicia has been searching for eye candy since she met Oliver Wood before she actually got onto platform 9 3/4 for the first time," Fred added.  
  
"And Fred and I were bloody original as first years," George finished with a laugh. Angelina smiled softly at her best friends.  
  
"Okay, here's one," she said. "There is a war going on and we most certainly aren't going to be under Dumbledore's protection."  
  
"Way to kill the mood there 'Lina," Katie only half joked.  
  
"I'm serious though," Angelina insisted.  
  
"We should all get a flat together!" Alicia suggested. "There is power in numbers.  
  
"Are you sure you want to live with George and Katie over there?" Fred asked, raising an eyebrow at Alicia.  
  
"I've lived through Angelina and George, I'll live through George and Katie," Alicia shrugged. She rolled over onto her back and stretched her feet into Fred's lap.  
  
"What about Lee and 'Rissa?" Angelina asked.  
  
"They'll be married!" George spat the word out as though it tasted bad.  
  
"We're too young for that" Katie said, shaking her head.  
  
"Come on guys, it's not as they'll be really dead!" Alicia insisted.  
  
"Just socially dead," Fred quipped. The quintet broke into roaring laughter.  
  
"We should do something," Angelina said when the laughter finally subsided.  
  
"What?" Fred asked. Angelina shifted her weight to the other arm of the chair.  
  
"Something symbolic, to make sure we remember each other forever incase something were to happen," Angelina explained.  
  
"You mean like a tattoo?" Alicia queried, looking over at her friend.  
  
"Yeah," Angelina said.  
  
"We're not death Eaters here 'Lina," George reminded his ex-girlfriend.  
  
"We should get piercings like Bill's," Fred said.  
  
"I don't much fancy having an earring in just one of my ears," Alicia said, touching her left ear thoughtfully.  
  
"I saw one this summer that was just for one ear!" Katie said. She pinched part of the upper cartilage of her left ear between two fingers. "They had an earring here!"  
  
"Weird!" Alicia exclaimed.  
  
"No," Katie objected. "It was hot!"  
  
"I like it!" Fred and Angelina chorused.  
  
"How do we do it?" George questioned.  
  
"BILL!" Fred screeched. The oldest Weasley brother appeared in the doorway of the room Bella and Tonks shared.  
  
"What do you want?" he asked.  
  
"We want piercings. Where did you get yours done?" George questioned.  
  
"Needle and an ice cube when I was visiting Charlie on the dragon preserve during the Sirius Black mess," Bill said. "Charlie has one too, but he always charms it invisible around mum."  
  
"We want this pierced," Katie said, indicating her upper cartilage.  
  
"It's going to hurt," Bill warned. He began rolling his t-shirt sleeves up to his shoulders.  
  
"You're going to do it?" George asked, sounding slightly panicked.  
  
"Now?" Fred squeaked. He swallowed hard.  
  
"Certainly. As long as you promise not to show mum until I'm there. I need a good laugh," Bill said. He began rolling his left sleeve up. Slowly a thin band of dark black barbed wire appeared tattooed onto Bill's bicep.  
  
"Merlin Bill, when did you get that done?" Fred asked, eyeing the tattoo. Bill ran his fingers across the ink before flexing his muscle, causing the tattoo to ripple and stretch across his well-defined bicep.  
  
"Hogwarts graduation," Bill replied. "I hide it from mum."  
  
"That's hot," Alicia breathed.  
  
"Charlie's is cooler," Bill admitted. "He's got a dragon across his shoulders breathing fire down his left arm to his elbow. The tail starts at his right elbow. It's got to be one of the coolest things I've seen."  
  
"Charlie has a tattoo too?" George questioned. Bill nodded.  
  
"Hides it from mum too. The day he shows his is the day I'll show mine, because mine looks like marker compared to his." Bill sat about conjuring earrings from solid metal rings.  
  
"Do me a favor and don't mention it to mum," Bill requested.  
  
"And if we do?" Fred asked, raising one eyebrow.  
  
"I'll tell her the pair of you got your dicks pierced and she won't believe you didn't until you show her," Bill said, not missing a beat. The twins' faces twisted into identical expressions of horror and disgust.  
  
"Thought you'd see it my way," Bill laughed. "Now who is first?" The three girls looked at each other.  
  
"I'll go," Angelina finally volunteered. Bill patted the stool in front of him that he'd created from a cushion. Angelina stood and walked over to the stool. She carefully sat, facing Bill. The man picked up a piece of ice from the cup and held it to Angelina's left ear.  
  
"DAMN that's cold!" Angelina shrieked. "How about you forget the ice and just pierce it."  
  
"The ice numbs it," Bill reminded her.  
  
"The Durmstrang match landed me in the hospital wing with a cut on my arm that it took Madame Pomfrey 45 minutes to heal. I sat and watched her. Calmly. I think I can handle you sticking a needle through my ear," Angelina said, looking up at Bill with honesty shining in her chocolate eyes.  
  
"Okay," Bill shrugged. He placed a piece of cork behind her cartilage at the appropriate spot. "Breath in," he instructed. Angelina did as she was told. "On the count of three, breathe out. One. Two. Three." On three, Angelina blew the air out of her lungs and Bill shoved the needle through her cartilage and into the cork. He pulled the needle away and slid one of the earrings through the new hole, closing it off with a red and gold marbled bead.  
  
"That didn't hurt!" Angelina announced. She jumped up and headed towards the bathroom to examine her new piercing.  
  
"I'm next," Alicia declared. She rolled off the couch and hopped onto the stool. "If Angelina can take it without ice, I can too," she told Bill. Bill picked up another needle and another piece of cork. He placed the cork behind her ear in the same place he had Angelina's.  
  
"Breathe in," he instructed, and when she did, "On the count of three, exhale. One. Two. Three." She exhaled and Bill repeated the piercing process, placing an identical ring and bead in Alicia's ear after he pulled the needle through. She jumped up and joined Angelina in the bathroom.  
  
"My turn," Katie declared. She removed herself from George's grip and took her seat on the stool. "No ice, breathe in, three, breathe out. I think I've got it," she said before Bill had a chance to deliver his instructions.  
  
"Okay," Bill replied, moving a third piece of cork into position. Katie took a deep breath.  
  
"Three," Bill announced. Katie, though surprised, exhaled and in about 15 seconds, she joined her friends in front of the bathroom mirror.  
  
"You first," Fred said, looking at George. The pair turned to look at the empty stool in front of Bill.  
  
"Why?" George asked.  
  
"Because I was born first. Its your turn to be first," Fred explained. George glared at his brother but stood up and sat down on the stool.  
  
"May I have the ice?" he requested in a small voice. "Or better yet, a numbing spell?"  
  
"No numbing spells. You gotta have at least a little pain if you're going to have a piercing," Bill said, placing the cork behind his brother's ear.  
  
"Chicken!" Fred hissed from the couch.  
  
"Why pain?" George asked. "Why pain?"  
  
"Life is pain, highness. Anyone who tells you differently is selling something," Bill quoted.  
  
"Chicken," Fred muttered again.  
  
"Okay, ice then," George said.  
  
"The girls didn't have ice," Fred pointed out from the couch. Bill slammed the needle into his brother's ear with such viciousness that it went straight through to the cork. He pulled the assembly away and put the ring through the slightly bloody hole.  
  
"Was that it?" George asked,  
  
"Yep," Bill said, clipping the bead in place.  
  
"That wasn't bad!" George said. He jumped up and followed the girls. A moment later, all four returned. Fred shakily took a seat on the stool.  
  
"Just do it," he muttered to his brother. Bill shrugged and quickly pierced Fred's ear. After the earring was in place, Fred stood up to join his friends.  
  
"Wow," he mumbled. He clasped a hand to both sides of his head and swayed once before tumbling to the ground.  
  
"Holy hell, he fainted," Bill said, poking Fred easily with his toe. The three girls and George rushed over to the fallen beater and crouched around him. Bill quickly melted the ice in the glass he had intended to use for numbing.  
  
"Who wants to do the honors?" he asked, holding the freezing water out to the group.  
  
*****  
  
"Where are we going?" Ginny asked, running her fingers tentatively over the thick black blindfold obscuring her vision.  
  
"You'll see," Braeden said from a spot slightly in front of her. He held her hand in one hand as he led her along the corridors of the palace. In the other hand he held a picnic basket.  
  
"How much longer?" Ginny asked.  
  
"We're almost there," Braeden replied. He pushed open the back door to the castle and led Ginny out into the advanced herbology students rose garden project. He pulled her along the stone wall until they reached the far right corner. Here the roses climbed the wall in a blanket of solid red blossoms. A series of trellises formed a pseudo third wall of roses. Braeden led Ginny to the bench and helped her sit. She sniffed twice.  
  
"Smells like roses," she announced. Braeden untied the blindfold and allowed it to drop from her eyes.  
  
"That's because it is," he whispered. He lowered himself onto the bench next to her. She looked around at the three walls of roses, and then up at the clear black sky.  
  
"How? It's February," she asked. Braeden shrugged.  
  
"It's magic," he replied. "Advanced Herbology project." He opened the picnic basket and pulled out a box made of chocolate. He lifted the lid to reveal a thick chocolate substance on the inside.  
  
"Pudding," he explained. "I tried mousse, but honestly, I'm not much of a cook. So we have pudding." Ginny smiled sweetly at him. He reached in the basket again and produced a smaller, octagonal white chocolate box. Removal of the lid revealed raspberries.  
  
"They were to go with the mousse. I'm not sure how well they'll go with pudding, but we'll see," Braeden shrugged. He picked a raspberry from the box and swirled it in the pudding before lifting it to Ginny's lips. He accidentally dripped chocolate on her lower lip before feeding her the raspberry. She reached to brush the chocolate away, but he held her hands away from her face.  
  
"I'll get that for you," he whispered. He leaned over and licked the pudding from her lip before pulling her into a soft kiss. Ginny pulled back after a moment, and chose another raspberry. She dipped it in the pudding before popping it into Braeden's mouth. He chewed thoughtfully.  
  
"Not bad," he said after a moment.  
  
"No," Ginny replied. "Not bad at all." Braeden reached back into the picnic basket and pulled out the third and smallest chocolate box. He placed it next to the raspberries.  
  
"Why don't you see what's in that one?" he asked, feeding her another berry. She quickly opened the top of the box to find a silver ring lying in the bottom. He carefully plucked the ring from its chocolaty home and took Ginny's right hand. He slid the ring onto her ring finger. The band formed two hands holding a heart. The heart wore a crown.  
  
"A claddagh," Ginny said, looking at the ring.  
  
"Yep," Braeden said. "So I'm assuming you know the legend."  
  
"Of course. My mum's part Irish, how could I not?" Ginny asked. Braeden smiled softly at her. She stood up and walked over to just in front of where he sat.  
  
"Thank you," she said. She sat on his lap, facing him, one leg on either side of his. She placed her hands on the back of his head and locked her fingers in his soft blonde hair. His brown eyes widened and darkened to almost a black color. Ginny leaned down, red curls creating a curtain around their faces, and captured him in the most breathtaking kiss of his four years of kissing experience.  
  
*****  
  
"*So how did you break your arm and lower your bone density?*" Calliope asked. She and Draco lay on a blanket in the Beauxbatons' Astronomy Tower.  
  
"*Mudblood Granger screwed up a bone healing charm,*" Draco replied. Calliope ran her fingers over his shirt and down his chest.  
  
"*I mean how did you break your arm originally,*" she said.  
  
"*I fell out of a tree,*" Draco lied. Calliope propped herself on one of her elbows to look at the boy lying next to her.  
  
"*What were you doing in a tree?*" she asked. Draco tucked his good arm behind his head as a makeshift pillow and blinked twice.  
  
"*Saving a first year,*" Draco replied. "*The twit climbed up, couldn't get down, and was holding on so tightly that a levitating spell wouldn't work so, as a prefect, I had to climb up and pull his ass down. He got out okay, but I fell. Then mudblood came along and screwed up the spell.*"  
  
"*Interesting,*" Calliope whispered directly into his ear, causing a delightful shiver to course through his body.  
  
"*Yes,*" Draco agreed, almost jumping when Calliope took his earlobe between her lips and sucked gently. He removed his hand from under his head and twisted it through her hair. "*It was very interesting indeed.*"  
  
"C'est gentil. Maintenant soyez quiet et embrassez-moi." 


	40. Chapter 40

Sorry the update took so long guys. Um, lets see. I don't own them. I own the plot and my Astrid and the new character in the end. I hope you like her. I own the Beauxbatons team too.  
  
Please Review.  
  
Thanks to all of those who have reviewed so far.  
  
Thanks to Nat for betaing this.  
  
That being said:  
  
*****  
  
"Are you ready?" Oliver asked, looking at the students gathered around him in the locker room. All three chasers and both beaters had hands clamped to their left ears rather suspiciously. Ron fidgeted with his robes, while Sanguinis stood in the corner behind everyone and scowled.  
  
"While the practice you had yesterday wasn't the greatest," Oliver continued.  
  
"What happened to the Oliver that was ready to string us up by our toenails last night?" Alicia asked quietly.  
  
"He shagged Fleur," Fred whispered. Alicia and Katie erupted with laughter that they didn't even try to stifle. Fred smirked at the success of his joke.  
  
"Hey Weasley, what I do in my spare time is none of your business!" Oliver spat, turning his chocolate eyes on Fred in a dark scowl. Fred's face reddened and his jaw dropped at the implications of Oliver's words.  
  
"At any rate," Oliver continued. "This match could change some of your lives!"  
  
"Hey Oliver?" George asked. "What happened to--," He looked down the row at his fellow seventh years and over his shoulder to Harry expectantly.  
  
"This is it men," they chorused. "The one we've all been waiting for!" Oliver waved his hand to cut them off.  
  
"I've moved on," he said.  
  
"I've got a question," Fred announced.  
  
"What is it?" Oliver asked.  
  
"As we are, in essence, the Gryffindor house team," Fred began.  
  
"In essence?" Alicia questioned.  
  
"Okay, since we are the Gryffindor house team, couldn't we, you know, maybe show a little more Gryffindor pride with our uniforms?" Fred requested.  
  
"We've still got to wear them," Malfoy spat, tugging at the front of his own green uniform to straighten it.  
  
"How about you all ACT SERIOUS!" Oliver screamed from the front of the room. He slammed his clipboard to the floor. It clattered loudly on the tile. The seventh years all sat up straight and looked at the coach through startled wide eyes. Oliver picked up his clipboard and tucked it under his arm.  
  
"You know, if you don't care about the match, then I don't either," he whispered. He turned on his heel and stomped out of the locker room.  
  
"What are you going to do now?" Malfoy asked, before the shocked silence the seventh years where hoping for could settle over the room.  
  
"Chasers?" Fred began, answering and ignoring Draco's question at the same time.  
  
"Yes?" Alicia asked. Angelina and Katie simply looked at the elder twin.  
  
"Those moves we've been working on in practice?" Fred questioned. The three girls all nodded with the knowledge of the moves Fred was speaking of.  
  
"Somehow I think they're a little overrated to save for Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff," George picked up his brother's train of thought.  
  
"Yes, they are," Fred agreed, "And now that we know we have a keeper who can back you up if things go weird," Fred smiled over his shoulder at his youngest brother. Sanguinis scowled at the three Weasleys seated in the locker room.  
  
"Now that you've got the line up you're used to," Fred continued, removing his hand from his newly pierced ear.  
  
"What my dear brother is trying to say is unleash all of our moves. Use them all and who cares who sees them!" George finished. Ron, Harry and all three chasers cracked into smiles at the thought of the moves the twins had designed specifically for the chasers. Fred and George's creativity didn't stop at joke products.  
  
"Care to tell us what they're planning?" William questioned.  
  
"Nothing your chasers would ever be able to reproduce or use against them," Draco spat. "Your team couldn't beat a Slytherin side that had chasers who had only been playing together for no more than five weeks and featured my LITTLE BROTHER as seeker!"  
  
"Why do little siblings always get the short end of the stick?" Ron questioned.  
  
"That's beside the point, little brother," Fred laughed.  
  
"AND FOR HOGWARTS!" Bill's voice echoed into the locker room from the field.  
  
"Bloody hell, we're starting!" Fred shouted, scrambling for his Nimbus.  
  
"ONE TWO THREE GO TEAM!" the Gryffindors cried as they mirrored Fred's rush for their brooms.  
  
"KATIE BELL!" Katie jumped onto her broom and flew directly from the room.  
  
"ANGELINA JOHNSON!" Bill roared. Angelina flew out, hot on Katie's heels.  
  
"ALICIA SPINNETT!" Alicia went the way of her fellow chasers. Ron, Harry and the twins all mounted their brooms.  
  
"THE TWINS WEASLEY!" Ginny's voice sounded as loud as Bill's. The twins shot from the room, yells erupting from their throats.  
  
"OUR LITTLE BROTHER RON!" Bill listed.  
  
"WEASLEY!" Ginny added.  
  
"Yes," Bill agreed as Ron flew from the locker room. William and Draco walked out after the youngest Weasley brother.  
  
"AND HARRY POTTER!" Bill and Ginny chorused. Harry rocketed past Draco and Sanguinis on his Firebolt. He flew to the end of the hallway and turned left. He angled the broom down into a tunnel that could have acted as an air lock, were Quidditch played in a dome. Through the tunnel, Harry pulled his broom up and rocketed into the clear blue sky above Beauxbatons Quidditch pitch. Ron was already in front of the goals taking shots from the girls. Fred and George hovered a few meters above the ground hitting a muggle football back and forth between them selves. Harry took a quick circuit around the field.  
  
"CAPTAINS!" A diminutive man standing in the center of the pitch shouted. Braeden strode purposefully towards the referee, icy blue robes fluttering behind him in the slight breeze. The Hogwarts team landed in the center of their half of the pitch.  
  
"Captains?" Harry questioned, the last team member to land.  
  
"Go Fred and George!" Angelina urged.  
  
`"Are you kidding? We can't put the fear of Merlin or at least Godric in Braeden! He's our sister's boyfriend!" Fred screeched.  
  
"You go, 'Lina," George said. The girl tucked a braid behind her ear.  
  
"I got to know him over Christmas hols," she objected.  
  
"Don't look at us!" Harry said as Angelina's gaze shifted to where he and Ron stood.  
  
"Oh for Merlin's sake!" Katie insisted. She stomped around Angelina and headed to the center circle.  
  
"Looks like Katie-bell has decided for you all," Alicia declared. The team turned to watch the smallest chaser stomp towards the center of the field. Katie's sun-streaked ponytail swished across the back of her robe as she walked.  
  
"You know Leesh, that would work if her name wasn't Katie Bell," George laughed. Alicia brought her right foot down on George's left, just past the section that was protected by the steel toes of George's boots.  
  
"Guys, don't kill each other before the match starts," Angelina warned, not even bothering to look over at her friends. She began following Katie, as the Beauxbatons team gathered at Braeden's back. The remainder of the Hogwarts team followed Angelina.  
  
"*I want a good clean match!*" the referee shouted. The English translation for the Hogwarts team came directly after the French sentence. Both teams mounted their brooms, facing each other. Braeden and Ron looked silently determined and thoroughly ready to tear the other's throat out. The twins swung their bats expertly in their hands and smiled devilishly, causing Marius and Giovanni to shy away from the centerline. Genevieve smiled coyly at Angelina while Alexandre simply looked ready to kill. Luc shifted from foot to foot, either nervous or in desperate need of a loo. Calliope smirked at Harry, causing him to turn a lovely shade of light pink. Both seekers were suddenly distracted by the snitch buzzing around first Harry's then Calliope's head.  
  
The refs whistle sounded and 15 brooms rocketed off the field. Ron and Braeden raced towards their respective goals. Luc snatched the Quaffle and tore after Ron. Ron slid into position in front of the center goal and readied himself for the shot from Luc. Luc passed the Quaffle to Genevieve who towed the ball towards the left goal before almost being removed from her broom by a bludger courtesy of George. Ron caught the sloppily thrown ball and passed it out to Angelina. The chaser spun her broom in a tight 180 and rocketed down the field. She dodged Luc then Marius, a bludger from Giovanni and Fred. The only person between Angelina and Braeden was Calliope. She didn't notice the chaser until a few seconds before Angelina would have hit her. A small squeak escaped Calliope's lips and she flipped upside down on her broom to avoid the chaser. Angelina flew right over Calliope, the straws of her broom brushing the seeker's feet.  
  
Braeden, noticing how Angelina took care of Calliope, shied back against the center goal. Angelina entered the scoring area and headed directly for Braeden. The Beauxbatons keeper readied himself for the impending shot. Angelina curled the quaffle back over her head with both arms. She pulled the ball over her head and flung it directly at Braeden with all of the strength she could muster. The quaffle was true to its mark. It hurtled directly at the keeper's face at a high rate of speed.  
  
"ANGELINA!" Ginny screeched, voice still magnified. The fourth year was obviously scared for her boyfriend's face. Braeden flung his hands in front of his face, narrowly stopping the Quaffle from rearranging his perfect nose. The ball bounced off his hands and back at Angelina. She grabbed it and passed it through the right hoop.  
  
"GOAL! HOGWARTS 10- BEAUXBATONS 0!" Bill screeched. A small smattering of applause issues from the Hogwarts bench, Ginny and the box where Tonks and Arabella sat. Braeden retrieved the ball and passed it out to Genevieve. The girl caught the ball and headed up the field. Fred smashed a bludger at her so she passed the ball off to Luc. Luc caught the Quaffle and continued the trek towards Ron. He dodged an ill-placed bludger from Marius and executed a quick swerve around Katie. Fred cracked a bludger at him that was more true to aim. It hit the French chaser directly between his shoulder blades, almost removing him from his broom. Luc, however, managed to maintain both the Quaffle and his balance and continued down the filed. George sent the second bludger whizzing past Luc's ear. Luc ripped into the scoring area and flung the Quaffle at the right goal. Ron's long arm shot out and cradled the ball to his chest. Luc darted out of the scoring area and Ron flung the Quaffle out to Katie. She caught the ball and spun to her left, narrowly avoiding Giovanni. She raced up the field towards Braeden.  
  
High above the play, Harry circled, scanning the pitch with an eagle eye for the snitch. The miniscule ball stayed fairly invisible. Calliope, however, made her presence well known. She flew just at the back of Harry's broom, crashing into him when she slowed or turned sharply. She babbled in French, nothing Harry could understand, and smirked at him in a way at made him not want to. Harry tried to turn his mind back to the game and cheered as Ron made another spectacular save, which led to another goal by Alicia. The score was 30-10, Hogwarts. Harry noticed a signal from Fred to George and then to Angelina. He smirked at the thought of what the chaser and beaters were preparing. George rounded up a bludger and moved towards Ron's left. Fred moved directly across from his twin. George hit the bludger to Fred, who hit it back. Ron gathered up a particularly vicious shot from Alexandre and passed it Angelina. She sank a few meters below Ron while the twins, still passing the bludger back and forth, rose in front of her.  
  
"GO!" Angelina shouted. The twins started down the field at a surprising rate of speed, not losing control of the ball. Angelina held her broom just behind the protective barrier created by the twins and the bludger. Giovanni hit a bludger at the trio. Fred swatted it away easily while George controlled the original bludger. The trio advanced down the field. As they approached Braeden's goal, Angelina began mimicking the path of the bludger from twin to twin. Just outside the scoring area, the twins stopped and George cracked the bludger back towards Ron's end of the field. Before Braeden could process exactly where Angelina was, the girl flipped the ball through the right goal.  
  
"GOAL! 40-10! Hogwarts!" Ginny screeched. Her gaze lingered a little longer than necessary on her boyfriend.  
  
"Now Gin," Bill scolded. "There is nothing interesting up the Beauxbatons' keeper's robes!"  
  
*****  
  
"GOAL! BEAUXBATONS! 40-20!"  
  
*****  
  
"50-20! Angelina Johnson!!!"  
  
*****  
  
"60-20! Hogwarts!"  
  
*****  
  
"60-30! THAT'S GENEVIEVE D'ANGELO WITH THE BEAUXBATONS GOAL!" Bill cried. Ron passed the ball out to Alicia. She turned and began flying straight up to the center of the field, flanked by Angelina on her right and Katie to her left. Angelina and Katie both cut towards Alicia. Alicia tossed the ball to Angelina and then flew left. Angelina passed the quaffle off to Katie and continued her path to the right side of the field, leaving Katie to take the center. Katie deliberately let go of the ball and Alicia scooped it up as she headed for Angelina. A quick pass and both the ball and Angelina were in the center of the field with Alicia on the right and Katie on the left. Katie slid into the scoring area and Angelina passed her the ball. The smallest chaser tossed it neatly through the left goal.  
  
"Goal! Katie Bell!" Bill cried.  
  
"I should make them run laps until their legs fall of for scaring me like this," Oliver declared from his spot just in front of the Hogwarts bench.  
  
"Only if they lose," Hermione said. Oliver nodded but seemed distracted by something high above the pitch. Hermione looked up to see the miniature figures of Harry and Calliope speeding towards the pitch. She quickly scanned the ground but caught no sight of the tiny ball. Blaming her untrained eye, she turned back to the pair of seekers.  
  
Harry ripped through the area of play with Calliope hot on his heels. He concentrated on a section of grass just left of the center circle. Calliope fought in vain to keep up with him, trusting that the glimmer of gold she'd seen from so many meters high was indeed the snitch. The rest of the players paused to watch the seekers. Harry felt Calliope gaining on him. He didn't pull his attention away form the spot on the field. Calliope pulled up almost even with Harry. Harry wasn't flying the Firebolt at top speed, though, so Calliope's feat on the Nimbus wasn't as impressive. The pair drew nearer to the pitch and showed no sign of slowing down. Hermione fisted her hands in the sides of her robe. Ginny elbowed Bill twice.  
  
"Is he feinting?" she asked in an attempted whisper that boomed across the stadium. About a meter from the pitch, Harry jerked the nose of his broom skyward. He spiraled safely up towards Ron. Calliope took a precious few seconds to react to Harry's exit. Her broom handle buried into the pitch. The other end rolled towards the ground, smashing Calliope directly into the grass. She didn't move. A blast form the referee's whistle sounded. The Beauxbatons coach, hospital matron, and Allegra ran onto the field.  
  
"Are you getting called?" Alicia asked as the Hogwarts' team gathered in front of their scoring area. Harry almost tumbled off of his broom, courtesy of a pair of slaps on his back from the Weasley twins.  
  
"Nah," Ron answered for Harry. "That was perfectly legal."  
  
"And perfectly brilliant!" Angelina crowed. Harry stretched to peer around Angelina and the twins.  
  
"Is she getting up?" he asked, nervously pushing his black hair off of his forehead.  
  
"Harry, the point of the move is to incapacitate the other seeker! She's fairly incapacitated, so you did your job!" Katie insisted  
  
"I feel bad," Harry said.  
  
"Why did you do it then?" Ron questioned. Harry shrugged and pulled his glasses off of his face. He rubbed them furiously on his robe before shoving them back onto his nose to continue watching the proceedings on the field.  
  
"She was annoying and I wanted to see if I could pull it off in a match," Harry admitted. "I didn't mean to kill her!"  
  
"She's not dead!" Alicia said.  
  
"If you don't catch the snitch now, Natalie is playing against Hufflepuff," George joked.  
  
"That might not be a bad idea anyway. His girlfriend plays for Hufflepuff," Ron laughed. Harry glared at his friend.  
  
"Look," Angelina said, pointing towards the ground. Her six teammates instantly turned to look where she pointed. The coach and nurse levitated Calliope's still body off of the edge of the pitch. A tiny blonde figure stood in the field pulling on an oversized Quidditch robe.  
  
"They're playing Allegra!" The Weasley's chorused.  
  
"Is she dead?" Harry asked, eyes following Calliope's floating form.  
  
"Ask Allegra," Fred instructed. The beaters and chasers flew towards the center of the pitch while Harry headed up above the action. Allegra joined him shortly after the referee blew the whistle to resume play. The second year flew just alongside Harry.  
  
"You broke both her arms, he nose and a couple of ribs," Allegra announced. "But she'll live."  
  
"I'm sorry," Harry said. Allegra laughed; a rich bubbling sound.  
  
"Don't be. That was a bloody brilliant piece of flying that Calliope would never be able to pull off!"  
  
"But!" Harry began.  
  
"No buts," Allegra objected. "It's all in the name of Quidditch! And besides, the injuries are nothing compared to the teasing she will endure from me!"  
  
"Allegra!" Harry exclaimed. Allegra cracked a magnificent grin at the fifth year.  
  
"Goal! Hogwarts! 90-30!" Bill shouted. Harry quickly scanned the field for the snitch.  
  
"I've got a really random question," he finally announced.  
  
"Yes?" Allegra asked.  
  
"Brantley Granger? Where has he been since we've been here? I thought I'd see him at least once!" Harry said.  
  
"Brantley fancies me. When he came back form summer vacation, he talked so much about you that some of the boys began to spread rumors that he fancied you. So when we found out you were going to be here, the boys began the rumors again and said if he could stay away from you, then they wouldn't tell me that he fancies me," Allegra explained.  
  
"But you already know," Harry said, only half paying attention to the little girl so he could still watch out for the snitch.  
  
"I'm friends with Braeden," Allegra said simply.  
  
"Do you fancy Brantley?" Harry queried Allegra blushed a deep red and grinned at Harry, showing dimples in both cheeks.  
  
"No," she said. "No one knows who I fancy."  
  
"Tell me?" Harry jokingly requested.  
  
"Promise not to tell anyone?" Allegra asked.  
  
"Promise," Harry agreed. "Who would I tell anyway?"  
  
"Ginny or Hermione, who would tell Braeden," Allegra explained.  
  
"And then Braeden will tell the guy?" Harry guessed. Allegra nodded vigorously.  
  
"110-40!" Ginny squealed.  
  
"Luc," Allegra whispered.  
  
"Luc as in Braeden's best friend who just scored Luc?" Harry asked.  
  
"Jean Lucien Dumas," Allegra said. She glanced down at the curly haired chaser flying considerably below the pair.  
  
"Isn't he, like your sister's age?" Harry questioned. Allegra smiled sheepishly.  
  
"He's young to be a sixth year, just turned 16 in August. And I turned 13 on October 11th," She explained. "So the age difference isn't too bad. Maybe next year when I'm 14." Harry smiled over at the girl.  
  
"120-40!" Bill roared.  
  
"I don't know what his problem is!" Allegra insisted, looking down at Braeden. "Your chasers are good, but he's usually better than this. Maybe we should send Ginny back to England."  
  
"You could still catch the snitch," Harry joked. The tiny golden ball still hadn't shown as much as a wing feather.  
  
"If I flew against you, I would meet the same fate as Calliope!" Allegra squealed.  
  
"140-40!" Ginny and Bill chorused. Beauxbatons students began filing out of the stands, tired of watching their school loose.  
  
"Look!" Allegra squealed, pointing at Braeden's goals. Katie held the Quaffle and flew towards the keeper with Angelina several meters behind her. Katie prepared to take the shot but at the last second she tossed the Quaffle backwards over her head. Angelina caught the ball and Katie peeled out of the way. Braeden, completely confused by the disappearing quaffle and chaser, let the shot from Angelina sail past him into the right goal.  
  
"Gio and Vieve might be able to do that, but two of our chasers? I really don't see that working for them!" Allegra said.  
  
"The chasers have been playing together since they were your age," Harry supplied with a shrug.  
  
"150-40!" Bill shouted. "With a beautiful goal by Angelina Johnson and an assist by Katie Bell!"  
  
"Look again!" Allegra cried, pointing towards the center of the field. Luc held the Quaffle, racing towards Ron's goals. Fred cracked a bludger towards the chaser. The bludger struck Luc's shoulder. Fred immediately tore off towards Braeden after the second bludger. Luc dropped the Quaffle in his attempt to stay on his broom. Alicia scooped up the ball and headed towards Braeden. Just outside the scoring area, she attempted to fake Braeden and threw the ball off to her right at the flash of green she barely noticed. Fred sensed the Quaffle moments before it hit him. Thinking the ball was a bludger, he smashed it with his bat. The ball ripped through the right goal, raising Hogwarts score to 160.  
  
"Goal! Fred WEASLEY!" Ginny and Bill chorused, putting a little more emphasis than necessary on their last name.  
  
BRAEDEN!" Allegra cried. Then she jabbered something in French that Harry couldn't understand at all.  
  
"Fred's a reserve chaser," Harry supplied rather off-handedly. "It's not really surprising that he scored." Allegra leveled a glare on Harry, grey-blue eyes hardening to the color of cold steel. Harry shrugged. When he looked at the girl, he noticed a glimmer of golden wings just behind her left ear.  
  
"Goal! Beauxbatons! That was a beautiful shot by Luc Dumas!" Bill exclaimed. At the sound of her crush's name, Allegra spun to look over her right shoulder at the action. Harry took the several second opportunity to snatch the snitch away from the girl's head. He held the tiny ball over his head in a victorious wave and began a slow descent to the pitch.  
  
"LOOK!" Ginny squealed. "Harry's got the snitch!" The referee noticed around the same time Ginny did, and blew his whistle to end the game.  
  
*****  
  
"Absolutely brilliant, guys!" Luc said, flinging himself onto the couch between Marius and Allegra. "Where's Braeden?"  
  
"He's not here," Fred replied. Madame Maxime, as a special treat, had put charms on all the children so that no matter what language was spoken, the listener heard it in the language they thought in. The charm had proved useful for everyone but Braeden, who thought half in French, half in English. This caused his friends to sound like they were speaking in whichever language he was thinking at the time. After his charm had been removed, the D'Angelo twins began speaking Italian and Angelina threw in the occasional bit of Spanish solely to confuse Braeden. Shortly after that, Braeden and Ginny left for the rose garden.  
  
"Ginny?" Luc asked. The entire group nodded. Luc ran a hand over his curls. They were still damp from his shower.  
  
"I just have one question," Genevieve declared. "Where did you all learn to play like that?" The three chasers all looked at each other. Katie and George curled in the armchair across from the one Alicia and Angelina shared.  
  
"They've been playing together since they were second years!" Allegra piped up. Every eye turned to her.  
  
"I told her," Harry finally explained from his spot on the floor.  
  
"So you did nothing but talk to the other seeker when we let you play!" Luc exclaimed. Allegra shrugged.  
  
"At least I didn't fall for any trick flying," she insisted. Harry scowled at her while everyone else laughed.  
  
"Harry man, that was brilliant flying," Marius said.  
  
"Brilliant," Genevieve agreed. Harry's cheeks turned a pale pink color and he shrugged. Ron cuffed the back of his head.  
  
"It was great and you know it!" he said.  
  
"Isn't he adorable?" Genevieve squealed, looking directly at Harry.  
  
"Shall I have mum order you one for your birthday then?" Giovanni asked.  
  
"Sorry guys, I'm an original," Harry laughed, "One of a kind."  
  
"Certainly some American corporation has latched onto the idea of the teenage savior of the wizarding world and made a doll or a book or something," Giovanni insisted.  
  
"Do the sidekicks get dolls too?" Hermione questioned. Ron poked her hard in her ribs.  
  
"They'd be ACTION FIGURES!" he hissed.  
  
"Certainly," Giovanni agreed. Genevieve bounced in her seat next to him.  
  
"Ooooh!" she squealed. "I want the complete set!"  
  
"I'll tell mum," Giovanni laughed.  
  
"I bet they've even thought of a way to pass the stories off as make believe and market them to muggles!" Marius insisted.  
  
"Think of the galleons!" Luc cried. Allegra jerked an elbow playfully into his ribs.  
  
"And raise your hand if you've been studying businesses or the USA in Muggle Studies!" she commanded. Luc, Marius, Giovanni and Genevieve all raised their hands. Allegra smiled proudly at the Hogwarts students. "Aren't they smart?" she asked. The Hogwarts students all laughed while the four Beauxbatons students glared at the little girl.  
  
"Does anyone agree that Little Miss Lestat needs to meet Little Miss Malfoy?" Ron asked. Harry, Hermione and the twins all nodded.  
  
"Little Miss Malfoy. As in the guy my sister wants' little sister?" Allegra asked.  
  
"Yes," George replied. "Only she's one of the coolest kids ever. Nothing like her brother at all." Ron, Harry and Hermione all raised eyebrows at George.  
  
"Don't be too sure about that," Harry laughed. "But Astrid is a really cool kid, unlike her brother." George looked sufficiently confused, but no one would tell him anything.  
  
"Guys! Come on! We've got 2 minutes until the port key leaves!" Bill shouted. The entire Hogwarts delegation jumped to their feet.  
  
"Bye guys, it was nice meeting you!" Harry cried as he headed for the door. The students already had their luggage shrunk and in their pockets.  
  
"Nice meeting you too!" Luc called. Genevieve sprang to her feet and hastily hugged all three chasers.  
  
"Don't forget to owl," she reminded no one in particular.  
  
"Hey Harry!" Allegra screeched. She held a quill and parchment out in front of her. The fifth year stopped and turned to look at the girl.  
  
"Can I have your autograph?" she asked sheepishly. "So when you get to be famous I can say I knew you when."  
  
"He already IS famous, dolt," Luc insisted. Allegra shrugged.  
  
"I want to terrorize Brantley too," she admitted, smiling sweetly up at the older boy. Harry scribbled a quick Harry James Potter on Allegra's parchment and handed it back to her.  
  
"Bye guys!" he called, and he ran after his friends who were already close to halfway out of the castle  
  
"Gather round," Oliver commanded, as soon as the eight spilled out of the castle gate. Malfoy and Sanguinis waited across from Bella and Tonks. Ginny and Braeden stood just next to the gate, wrapped in each others arms. Braeden's cheek rested on Ginny's forehead. She had her face buried in his chest.  
  
Oliver held out a shoe directly in front of him.  
  
"Do we have to travel attached to Malfoy again?" George asked. Malfoy paled, if that was possible, and stepped back from the portkey. Bill pulled out his wand and fired three spells at the three boys. The twins found themselves in a similar position to the one they had held the other day, with a very unhappy Malfoy trapped in between them. Sanguinis, Bella, Tonks, the chasers and Hermione all moved in to take hold of the portkey with Bill and Oliver. Harry, Ginny and Ron remained.  
  
"Come on Ginny," Bill said. "Let go of Braeden and grab the portkey. As much as you'd like being left here, I think mum would have my head on a platter if I left you." Ginny looked away from Braeden's chest long enough to glare at her older brother. Ron stepped in and took an edge of the portkey next to Hermione. Harry took a deep breath and stepped in between Ron and Hermione. He and Hermione faced each other and he stood with his back to Ron. Ron and Hermione exchanged a look over Harry's head. Hermione reached over and squeezed his free hand lightly with hers. He wrapped his hand around hers and smiled gratefully down at her.  
  
"COME ON GINNY!" Bill cried. Suddenly, the group felt the familiar hooking sensation behind their navels and they were pulled forward. Harry felt something tugging at his foot. He kicked ferociously to try to shake it off. The team, their coach, professors, and staff fell into a pile just outside the Hogwarts front gates.  
  
"Ginny!" Bill screeched. He scrambled to his feet and looked down at the pile of people lying on the ground. Sanguinis hovered about half of a meter above Malfoy, due to the cushioning charm Bill had placed on the boy.  
  
"Ginny!" Bill said again.  
  
"Yes?" Ginny asked, looking up at her older brother.  
  
"I thought we'd left you! You weren't holding on to the portkey when it took off!" Bill scolded.  
  
"Wow, you know you look a lot like mum when you do that?" Fred asked. Bill glared down at his younger brother.  
  
"I wasn't holding on to the portkey but I dived and grabbed Harry's foot just as you all disappeared," Ginny laughed.  
  
"So that's what it was!" Harry cried.  
  
"Yes. And he tried to kick me off. I would have been lost in portkey nowhere land for forever!" Ginny squealed. Ron and Hermione both glared at Ginny.  
  
"Sorry Harry," Ginny continued. "But yours was the closest foot I saw, or I would have grabbed Ron's." Harry smiled at the younger girl.  
  
"Its okay," he said. Only then did he realize that he and Hermione were still holding hands.  
  
"Congratulations on your astounding victory over Beauxbatons," said a familiar voice. Everyone turned to see Dumbledore standing between the open gates. Harry stood up and pulled Hermione to her feet before dropping her hand. "I will ask that you all head back to your houses now. I do believe the whole of Gryffindor anxiously awaits their team." The rest of the team struggled to stand.  
  
"And Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Wood and Miss Tonks, I will show you to your rooms." With that, Dumbledore turned and pointed to the carriages that were waiting to carry them back to the school.  
  
*****  
  
"PARTY!!!!!!!" Fred Weasley shouted as he tore into the Gryffindor common room. His arms were loaded with snacks, while George carried a crate of butter beer. The rest of the team and Hermione entered the room a bit more calmly.  
  
"RONHARRYANDHERMIONE!" a very high-pitched voice shrieked. A blonde- haired blur sped across the common room and launched herself at Ron.  
  
"Hello to you too, Astrid," Ron laugh as he caught the little girl. She wrapped her legs around him just above his hips and leaned away from him. He locked his arms around the small of her back so she could effectively sit back and look at him while still being held.  
  
"What have we missed since we've been gone?" Hermione asked. Astrid motioned Hermione and Harry to draw closer to Ron.  
  
"Madame Pomfrey, Professor Snape, and Dumbledore have come up with something new that they're quite certain will make Draco all better," she announced proudly. Ron rolled his eyes, but the girl didn't see.  
  
"That's great, Astrid," Hermione said, though the smile on her face was quite forced. Harry refrained from commenting  
  
"I heard you all kicked Beauxbatons arse!" she said. Harry and Ron nodded enthusiastically.  
  
"I got to play!" Ron said.  
  
"Guiny sucked that badly?" Astrid questioned.  
  
"Guiny?" Ron said.  
  
"Sanguinis," Astrid corrected herself.  
  
"He sucked so badly in practice that Ron got to play the entire match!" Harry explained. Astrid smiled broadly and threw her arms around Ron's neck.  
  
"That's awesome!" she squealed.  
  
"That was my ear drum," Ron muttered.  
  
"Now, lets go get some snacks then you can come tell me and Sawyer and Jason and Dennis and Nathan all about the match!" Astrid said. Ron didn't bother to put the girl down. She scrambled around and attached herself to his back.  
  
"Go," she commanded. Ron began walking towards the snack table.  
  
"Looks like someone's happy to see the other," Hermione muttered.  
  
"And I'm not sure who is happier," Harry replied.  
  
"Me either," Hermione laughed. With that, they followed their friends to the snack table.  
  
*****  
  
Draco stepped through the door into the Slytherin common room. The room was empty, save a second year asleep on his potions homework in the corner. Draco looked at the clock on the wall. 11:30, Saturday night.  
  
"They're all either asleep, in Hogsmeade, or causing trouble somewhere," he thought to himself. He sank into an armchair close to the fire and pulled his bag from his pocket with his good arm. He enlarged it and pulled out a small bottle of potion. His right arm was throbbing severely under the cast. He popped the lid off of the bottle of potion and slowly drank it. As he drank, he got the odd feeling that someone was watching him.  
  
"Seems as though you'd be afraid of doing that now," a silky female voice issued from the shadows behind him. Draco quickly dropped the empty potions bottle and spun to look at the owner of the voice. He didn't see anyone.  
"Borgin," he said, quietly, hoping this would get the person to show herself.  
"Malfoy," the girl replied. He sensed a movement behind him and suddenly the chair across from his was occupied. The occupant was female. About 176 centimeters tall, she was skinny, and looked positively folded into her chair. She sat with her long legs and purple skirts tucked under her, leaning gracefully on her right arm. Her waist length chocolate brown hair hung in a thick braid over her left shoulder. She had a slim face, with a thin nose, and a small but full mouth. Even in mid-February, she was tan. Her eyes were shaped like a cat's, but were a dark chocolate brown color with flecks of gold throughout. She blinked her strange eyes twice at Draco and adjusted one of the hammered gold bangles that decorated her left wrist.  
  
"What do you want?" Draco asked. He sat up straighter in his chair and gripped the armrest tightly with his left hand. To say the girl made him uncomfortable was a bit of an understatement.  
  
"I don't think it's what I want," the girl replied. "It's what you want."  
  
"Cut the shit, Contessa," Draco spat. He held his injured arm closer to his stomach. The girl shrugged, a smooth movement that Draco barely noticed.  
  
"Don't you want to know who tried to kill you?" she asked, offering an odd half smile to her companion.  
  
"Do you know?" Draco asked, still wary of the girl.  
  
"I can find out," Contessa replied.  
  
"Will you?" Draco asked.  
  
"For a price," Contessa said, mouth pulling into a full smile.  
  
"What can you do that I can't?" Draco asked, "I'll find out eventually."  
  
"Yes Draco, eventually." The cat-eyes blinked again. "But will eventually be soon enough to prevent it from happening again?" Draco looked down at his feet for a brief moment before returning his gaze to Contessa.  
  
"How quickly do you think you can do it?" Draco asked. Contessa pulled at the neckline of her purple shirt and shrugged again.  
  
"You can't rush art," she replied.  
  
"Art?" Draco questioned.  
  
"Art," Contessa agreed. "My magic is an art, and art takes time. But even factoring that in, I'm sure I can figure it out quicker than you can." Draco nodded. He had noticed over the years that the girl had a knack for staying invisible until she wanted to be seen. In fact, not many people knew she existed.  
  
"Name your price," he said finally. Contessa smiled slyly. The smile unnerved Draco in an extreme way. Contessa pulled a parchment out of the folds of her skirt and tossed it to Draco. He caught it, unfolded it, and read it quickly.  
  
"Books?" he asked.  
  
"Books," Contessa agreed. "Your father has the only known copies in all of England and I need them."  
  
"Why?" Draco asked. "Can't your father get them through his shop?"  
  
"No," Contessa said. "And don't question my motives."  
  
"I may not be able to pay until after the summer holidays," Draco said.  
  
"That is fine. I will give you a year to pay, as I understand my payment is quite large. If you do not pay, you do not want to imagine what I will do to you. Do you accept the offer?" Draco gulped.  
  
"Yes," he finally said. Contessa slid to her feet in a motion Draco barely noticed. He stood too. She held out her hand. Long purple fingernails sparkled on the ends of her thin fingers. Draco shook her hand awkwardly with his left.  
  
"It's been a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Malfoy," she said. Then she turned on her heel and slid back into the shadows with only the pat of her shoes on the floor and the swish of her skirts. 


	41. Chapter 41

JKR owns them. There is also a Buffy reference or two in there.  
  
Please review.  
  
We love nat.  
  
I also like my reviewers.  
  
That being said.  
  
*****  
  
"Why are we all in a girls' bathroom?" Astrid asked, looking from Ron to Harry to Hermione back to Ron and Harry. Eyebrows rose in search of an answer.  
  
"You'll see," Ron said. He reached out and patted the little girl lightly on her head. Harry dropped to his knees and crawled to the last sink of the row.  
  
"Why are we all in a girls bathroom with Harry crawling under the sinks?" Astrid amended her question.  
  
"You'll see," Hermione echoed Ron's answer. Astrid glared at her friends and stomped her tiny foot.  
  
"Patience, child," Ron admonished.  
  
"I want answers!" Astrid growled. She threw her hands on her hips. "Answers to questions such as to why I had to share an invisibility cloak with Ron to go to a girls' loo only to watch Harry crawl under the sinks!" A low rumbling hiss issued from under the last sink Astrid screamed.  
  
"He is a Parselmouth!" she screeched.  
  
"Astrid, you've been taking lessons from Mandrake Chelsea's book! Keep your voice down or you're going back to the common room," Ron scolded, completely ignoring the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets opening on the wall behind him. Astrid stuck out her tongue at the older boy.  
  
"Ready?" Harry asked, looking up from his spot crouched on the floor. Ron and Hermione both nodded.  
  
"Wait, are we going down there?" Astrid questioned. The three fifth years all nodded at the girl.  
  
"Perfect place to do illegal things without being caught," Ron laughed.  
  
"Right," Harry agreed. "Now Ron, you know how the landing down there is."  
  
"Rough," Ron answered.  
  
"Exactly. I think one of us should take Hermione and the other, Astrid," Harry suggested.  
  
"I can take myself, thank you," Hermione insisted, glaring at Harry. Harry shrugged.  
  
"Don't bother me when your bum hurts for weeks then," he said. Hermione nodded.  
  
"Doesn't sound like fun to me," Astrid said. "I think I shall use Ron as a Gringott's cart.  
  
"Thanks," Ron said, looking down at the girl with a glare on his face. She broke into a broad, highly contagious smile that soon wiped the scowl from Ron's face.  
  
"Ready?" Harry asked. His three friends all nodded. "I'll go first then." He sat down in the top of the slide and waved at his friends. Quickly enough, he disappeared down the pipe.  
  
"Shall I go next?" Hermione asked when a loud crunch sounded from the pipe. Ron and Astrid both nodded. Hermione jumped in the pipe and disappeared.  
  
"Ready then, chica?" Ron asked. Astrid smiled up at him and nodded. Ron climbed into the pipe and sat down. He turned and held his hands out to the girl. She stepped over to him and allowed him to pick her up and deposit her in his lap. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she clamped her hands on top of his.  
  
"Ready," Astrid said. Ron moved his feet in a walking motion down the pipe. After only a few steps, the pair were pushed flat on their backs and they rocketed down the slide. Astrid screeched loudly.  
  
"THIS IS GREAT!" she yelled. Ron tried to ignore the scraping sensation of his back grating on stone of the slide. Before they knew it, they both shot out onto a pile of dried bones. Ron acted as a cushion for Astrid, so the bones didn't affect her at all. She bounced to her feet and ran over to Hermione and Harry.  
  
"Wow that was fun! Are we under the school now?" Astrid asked. The two fifth years solemnly nodded as Ron stumbled to his feet. He began picking bone chips off of the back of his robes and out of his hair. Astrid looked around the slimy, damp tunnel.  
  
"Last occupant wasn't much of an interior decorator was he?" she asked, kicking a small pile of bones towards the wall.  
  
"The last occupant was a giant bloody snake," Ron mumbled. Astrid's jaw dropped and she looked up at the tallest fifth year.  
  
"We're in the Chamber of Secrets," she said without a question in her voice. She ran her hands over her hair and all around the tunnel once more. Ron rolled his shoulders experimentally and pushed his hair back form his eyes.  
  
"No Astrid," Harry said. "We're in the OTHER secret chamber under the school that only I can open from an entrance in the girls' bathroom that is inhabited by a ghost who was killed by a basilisk.  
  
"Shut up," Astrid muttered. She glared at Harry from under the fringe of her hair.  
  
"Actually, we're in the tunnel leading to the Chamber of Secrets," Harry corrected. Astrid nodded.  
  
"So we're down here why?" she asked.  
  
"To clean so we'll have a place to work on our Animagus transformations," Hermione explained. "Where should we start?"  
  
"Cushioning the landing area," Harry and Ron chorused.  
  
"Can we make it really smushy?" Astrid questioned.  
  
"If we get all of the rat bones out of the way we can," Harry said. He reached down and picked up a handful of bones.  
  
"Ooooh, Harry, put those down!" Hermione screeched. "They can't be sanitary!"  
  
"How else do you plan on moving them then?" Harry questioned. Hermione pulled out her wand and pointed it at the pile of bones.  
  
"Step back," she instructed. He joined Ron and Astrid against the wall behind Hermione. Hermione waved her wand in a relatively simple movement and muttered a spell. The bones quickly sprang into a neatly bundled bale.  
  
"How's that?" she asked.  
  
"Teach us!" both of the boys insisted.  
  
"Do you think I could learn?" Astrid questioned.  
  
"Do you know the cleaning spell Snape uses for cauldrons?" Hermione asked. Astrid nodded.  
  
"I work in front of Nathan Longbottom in Potions. We'd all be dead by now if I didn't know it," she said.  
  
"You use that on the floor and walls while the boys and I bale the bones and other debris," Hermione instructed. Astrid nodded and Hermione set about teaching the boys the bailing spell. Astrid busied herself with the floor at the bottom of the slide.  
  
"What are you doing?" Ron asked. He and Harry had mastered the bailing spell and had attacked the bones with a vengeance. Astrid stepped about a meter away from the wall just in front of the base of the slide. She jumped straight into the air. When she came back to the floor, it dented in to accommodate her weight before flinging her back into the air.  
  
"Like yours and Mandy's mattress," she explained, still bouncing on the floor. At the mention of his girlfriend, Ron instantly turned bright red.  
  
"Why so red?" Astrid questioned. "Have you and Mandy used the mattress?" If Ron had gotten any redder, steam would have poured form his ears.  
  
"Not sure you want to know the answer to that," Harry laughed. Ron's face paled a bit and he turned to glare at his best friend.  
  
"Don't listen to him," Ron instructed. "He's just jealous that he hasn't gotten anywhere past snogging with Hannah." Astrid bounced so hard her head almost banged into the ceiling.  
  
"So you have been doing naughty things with Mandy!" the little girl squealed. She raised her eyebrows twice at her friend.  
  
"No!" Ron insisted, way too loudly and quickly for him to be telling the truth. A derisive snort form Harry and a half-stifled laugh from Hermione further weakened his argument.  
  
"That's none of your business!" Ron cried.  
  
"It's certainly not," Astrid agreed. "So speaking of naughty things done on mattresses, has your mum had her baby yet, Hermione?"  
  
"Thank you, Astrid, for the mental image the phrasing of that question provided," Harry said. Hermione shuddered visibly.  
  
"Thank you, Harry, for bringing up mental images," she spat. "No, Astrid," she continued. "Little Weston Jr. isn't here yet."  
  
"She's having a boy?" Ron questioned. Hermione shrugged. The stack of bales of bones steadily grew against one wall.  
  
"I'm, hoping," Hermione replied. "She doesn't know yet, but she still thinks Jaquenetta is a perfectly acceptable name."  
  
"Hey!" Astrid squealed. "If you have a sister and I have a brother, or the other way around, they could date!"  
  
"Your father would have kittens!" Harry cried.  
  
"I know!" Astrid said. "No offence to any of you, but I think the only thing that would be comparably as bad as a Muggleborn would be a Weasley or a Longbottom."  
  
"That's," Ron paused for a moment. "Okay, marginally funny." Astrid grinned at the boy.  
  
"And if my little sibling is a boy, which I hope it is, Lucius will like it, but he'll ignore a sister," Astrid said.  
  
"Why do you want a brother?" Hermione questioned. "Wouldn't a sister be safer?" Astrid stopped jumping.  
  
"A sister would be like they were trying to replace Barrett. It would be more upsetting than happy," she explained. She began following the fifth years down the tunnel. "Draco wouldn't like another sister at all!"  
  
"How is Malfoy?" Ron asked. He paused to cast another spell while Astrid set about cleaning the walls. "Pretend I care."  
  
"He seems to be doing better. I guess you guys noticed that his cast came off about three weeks ago and his arm is fine. He just finished up a series of five once a week sessions with Dumbledore, Snape and Madame Pomfrey to fix his bone density and yea," Astrid said.  
  
"Is he going to be able to play in the match against Salem in April?" Harry questioned. Astrid watched as the walls slowly cleared themselves of years worth of slime and gunk.  
  
"That's three weeks away. He's been training lightly with Slytherin for the last two weeks and he can come back to training with you guys full time now that his bone density is as close to normal as they're every going to get it," Astrid explained. "He's got clearance but it's ultimately Wood's decision."  
  
"I never thought I'd say this," Harry said, "But good. As much as I hate Malfoy, he's a better keeper than Sanguinis and as long as we beat Salem fairly decently and Durmstrang doesn't beat Beauxbatons as badly as we did, we've got a shot at winning the league!"  
  
"Really?" Astrid and Hermione chorused. Harry nodded.  
  
"Random note," Ron said as they began trying to form a doorway of sorts in a pile or rocks. "This is where Lockhart lost his memory back in second year. Now back to Quidditch."  
  
"Really," Harry replied. "Beauxbatons bean Salem 230-70. Durmstrang beat us 340-170. WE beat Beauxbatons 310-40, and Salem beat Durmstrang 150- 0 in a match that lasted 15 seconds."  
  
"So we're leading the league right now," Ron said. He paused to heave a rather large rock out of the way for Hermione. "But only by 130 points, so we've got to kick Salem's butt and pray Beauxbatons can hold off those Durmstrang pricks to a score somewhere below 300 points. "  
  
"You know Ron," Hermione said. "Your astounding ability to do math talking about Quidditch but never when it comes to school work amazes me." She moved a pile of rocks to her left to begin forming the side of a doorway  
  
"Not funny, Hermione," Ron spat.  
  
"What do you guys think of the new play Fred and George and Wood are coming up with?" Harry asked to avoid the impending fight between his best friends.  
  
"The Annexation of Puerto Rico?" Hermione questioned. Harry nodded and swiped a hand across his forehead, leaving a streak of black dust in its wake.  
  
"Well, I'd have an opinion if they'd tell us more than a name," Ron laughed. "Although the way they sit in a corner and cackle madly on the rare occasion is really quite unnerving." He moved a few more rocks to begin the right side of Hermione's doorway.  
  
"Where did they come up with that name anyway?" Astrid questioned.  
  
"There is a really long explanation but what it boils down to is they stole it from a movie," Harry explained Astrid nodded and began cleaning a rather large section of the floor that was covered in inch thick neon green slime mold.  
  
"When do you think you'll get to use it?" she asked.  
  
"Whenever its creators think its ready and teach it to us," Harry replied. "Probably against Salem."  
  
"Too bad you don't have to play Slytherin again, I would love to see the look on my prat of a brothers face if the twins let them unleash it against his team," Astrid laughed. She had figured out how to make the slime mold roll up like a rug and was watching it's slow progress as she spoke.  
  
"I thought you got along okay with your brother," Hermione said, looking down at the girl. She had a rather motherly, concerned air on her face.  
  
"I was actually talking about the evil incarnate that's approximately the same age as me," Astrid replied.  
  
"So chica, if he's evil incarnate and you spent nine months in the oven with him, what does that make you?" Ron questioned. Astrid smiled up at the boy, not missing a beat.  
  
"An angel," she replied. "Or perhaps a saint." Ron snorted rather loudly, not bothering to hold in his amusement.  
  
"Really man the oven?" Harry asked, looking over at his friend.  
  
"If Arthur Weasley had given you the sex talk, you wouldn't know what to call it either," Ron muttered. "So Astrid, how do you figure you're the saint?"  
  
"Draco's the moody one, Keiran's devil spawn, Emma's the quiet bookworm, and Barrett was the clown. The only logical step is for me to be the saint," Astrid explained. Harry joined in Ron's snorting laughter this time.  
  
"But seriously guys," Astrid said when they'd calmed down a bit. "Who do you think attacked Draco?"  
  
"Death Eaters," came Hermione's prompt reply.  
  
"At Hogwarts?" Ron questioned.  
  
"It happens," Astrid and Harry chorused, thinking of Snape and Crouch, respectively.  
  
"Besides," Astrid said. "I figured it was Death Eaters. Voldemort is going to kill us all. He's planning to transfer our power to Keiran but that won't work unless we're dead. I sort of meant do you think there was one or more than one. Are they students or did they sneak onto school property? How exactly did they go about doing it? Draco's not completely stupid, ya know." The three friends worked in silence for a moment as they all worked out their individual answers to the girl's questions.  
  
"Quidditch," Hermione finally broke the silence. "The Death Eaters hid near the Quidditch pitch and got him after practice the day before when I was supposed to be having my lesson with Madame Pomfrey. If there was someone else with him, they probably put that person under the imperious to get rid of Malfoy's memory before he could come around in the hospital wing. Short of getting a record of all of his visitors from Madame Pomfrey and checking them for traces of the imperious, we'd be hard pressed to ever figure out who did this to him." Hermione's face had paled and she had stopped working on sealing the rocks together.  
  
"You look like you've seen a ghost, Hermione," Ron said. He, too paused work, to look at his friend. "It's just Malfoy after all."  
  
"You didn't see him when he came in, Ron," Hermione spat. She turned back to the wall and looked down at the floor. Her next statement came out as something of a whisper. "You didn't see him."  
  
*****  
  
"Lollie, can we get ice cream after we go ta tha park?" Tallulah asked. She looked up at her sister through crystal blue eyes ad tugged on the older girls hand as she spoke.  
  
"Maybe if you're good," Laurelai replied. She reached over and brushed a stray piece of sandy blonde hair out of the tiny girls face.  
  
"Lollie," Tallulah continued. "I'm cold."  
  
"Tallulah, you know ma needs to take care of Brady so we're going to the park," Laurelai said. Tallulah nodded and skipped a bit, still holding tightly to Laurelai's hand. Laurelai turned to make sure the door to her flat was locked before turning back to her three-year-old sister. Their mother needed time to tend to two-year-old Brady as their muggle father tended not to approve the use of healing spells on his children. Brady simply had the flu. Laurelai had volunteered to baby-sit Tallulah for a few days because of all of her sisters, Tallulah, being the youngest, was the hardest to take care of. Five-year-old Tara and seven-year-old Greer were fairly self sufficient as long as nine-year-old Edana and 10-year-old Saoirse were around. No one could handle Tallulah quite like Laurelai though. Of course, at 22, she figured she would be quite capable of taking care of her second youngest sister, especially after the other six. Besides the four middle-aged sisters, a brother and a sister attended Hogwarts, Tallulah was number seven, Brady made eight, and oldest brother Connor was number nine. Laurelai rounded out the number to an even 10.  
  
"Lollie?" The tug on her hand made her snap from her thoughts. "Lollie, I forgot my cloak and it's cold outside."  
  
"Don't worry, Lu, we can get it." Laurelai turned herself and her sister around in the narrow hallway and walked back towards the door to her flat.  
  
"Lollie, I heared a popping noise," Tallulah whispered as the pair stopped at the door of the flat. She was suddenly very still and equally quiet.  
  
"I didn't hear anything, Lu," Laurelai replied as she jammed the key into the lock.  
  
"Lollie," Tallulah hissed.  
  
"Lu, this is an old building, it makes funny noises sometimes," Laurelai said. The younger girl didn't look the least bit reassured. Laurelai pushed the door open and stepped into the living room of the small flat, Tallulah in tow.  
  
"Well what do we have here?" An unfamiliar male voice asked from the center of the room. "Back so soon?"  
  
"What are you doing here?" Laurelai asked, eyeing the masked, black- robed man standing in the center of the room. She eased backwards towards the door, making sure Tallulah was fully behind her. The man produced a wand from inside his robes. He flicked it quickly, causing the door to slam shut.  
  
"Initiation," the man replied. "At least in part." Laurelai slowly reached fro the front right pocket of her jeans, where her wand was.  
  
"Don't bother, Laurelai," the man said. Laurelai quickened her motion.  
  
"Avada Kedavara," the man muttered, almost lazily. The bight green light caught Laurelai in the center of her chest. She crashed to the ground, crumpling onto herself like a rag doll.  
  
"Lollie!" Tallulah shrieked. She flung herself at her older sister.  
  
"Don't bother," the Death Eater laughed. He quickly branded a dark mark on the door so they would know who was responsible when they found the body of the muggle loving bitch.  
  
"Lollie," Tallulah sobbed. She lay completely on top of the older girl's body, crying into her sister's hair.  
  
"She's dead," The Death Eater laughed. "And you're coming with me. If the Dark Lord can't use you for any rituals then we can just kill you later." He plucked the three-year-old off her dead sister and gave Laurelai a swift kick in her ribs. Tallulah struggled against the man so he caught her left hand in his and applied pressure to her pinkie until he felt the bones snap. Tallulah wailed. The death eater quickly apparated away, but not before a neighbor heard Tallulah's shriek.  
  
*****  
  
"Do you think we'll actually get to go inside next time?" Astrid asked, as she, Harry, Hermione and Ron walked back towards the common room.  
  
"Did you smell it?" Ron questioned. I'm not sure I want to go in!" the group had stopped short of actually entering the chamber, as the smell of rotting snake carcass had overtaken them before Harry could open the door.  
  
"I'm wondering what we're going to do with the thing," Harry said. "You can't even begin to imagine how bloody huge it is."  
  
"Can too," Hermione insisted. "Spent months in second year petrified because I saw it!"  
  
"You mean these two solved a mystery without you?" Astrid asked. She practically skipped a few steps ahead of the fifth years.  
  
"Nope," Hermione laughed. "Stole my research out of my stone cold hand while I was out of it in the hospital wing."  
  
"They didn't!" Astrid screeched. She looked appalled at the two boys. Hermione nodded while Harry and Ron looked properly sheepish.  
  
"Password, dears," the portrait said.  
  
"Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. The place for all of your joking needs," Astrid recited.  
  
"Shameless, really, how they've taken to advertising with the passwords," Hermione muttered as they crawled inside the room. The eerie silence hit the quartet almost as soon as the portrait clicked shut behind them. They scanned the room.  
  
Alicia and a group of first years sat in the back corner. Jason, Sawyer and Nathan sat in front of the fire looking unusually somber and more than slightly bewildered. Ginny and Jae, both looking slightly teary eyed, sat on a couch on either side of a very distraught and silently weeping Parvati and a sobbing Lavender A pile of entangled bodies in a corner diagonally opposite the first years looked like the seventh years were having together time. Finally, in the corner across from the seventh years, Seamus leaned facing the joining of the walls. He had his arms braced over his head to support his weight. Dean and Kyle Burns stood to his right and left, respectively. Each boy had an arm on the wall and the other hand on one of Seamus's violently shaking shoulders. Neville sat about a meter away from them on the floor. Muffled sniffs and whispers punctuated the air at odd intervals. Ron's eyes didn't get any further than the seventh years before his mouth decided to open.  
  
"Why does everyone look like someone has died?" he asked. He tried to be quiet about his statement but nonetheless; half of the room heard him.  
  
"YES!" Jason exclaimed. Those who hadn't heard Ron heard Jason and turned to look at the boy.  
  
"What?" He asked, shrugging his small shoulders. "I'm finally not the one who gets the extremely icky experience of gnawing on my foot!" Ron was so busy staring at the first year that he didn't notice Seamus until the Irishman had jumped on him and forced him to the ground.  
  
"You bloody, Snape-feckin son uv a bitch!" Seamus screeched as he repetitively pounded his fist into Ron's face. Ron was so caught off guard that all he could do was struggle to keep his arms over his face so they more than his nose could absorb Seamus's blows. Dean and Kyle made no move to stop Seamus. Prefects Harry and Hermione were too busy trying to figure out why Ron's statement had caused such a reaction in Seamus to pull the boy off their friend.  
  
Suddenly, Ron gained a bit of leverage and rolled himself and his attacker towards the fireplace. Sawyer had enough presence of mind to put out the fire before jumping out of the way. The pair rolled to a stop on the hearth. Ron ended up face down with Seamus straddling his back. Seamus sank his hand into Ron's hair and pulled his head backwards, up off the floor. He quickly fell forward, letting Ron's face take the full force of his fall. Ginny screamed as blood exploded from Ron's nose. Seamus pulled Ron's head back up and started towards the stone hearth again. Harry ripped his glasses form his face and pitched them at Hermione. Hermione was so surprised that she dropped her wand to catch the glasses. She had been fully prepared to end the ridiculous fight.  
  
With a roar, Harry dived at Seamus's back. He hit the Irishman, who was still holding onto Ron, with such a force that all three rolled farther towards the corner Seamus had started in.  
  
Dean, sensing the odds were suddenly not in Seamus's favor, dived into the fray with a flurry of dreadlocks and a cry of "VIVA!" No one was sure exactly what he wanted to live because a fist to his jaw cut off his sentence. The boys moved more towards the corner. Before Neville could move out of the way, someone landed a stray kick on his knee and he tumbled directly into the pile of thrashing limbs.  
  
Kyle's sense of fair play kicked in. He stepped over and allowed himself to be sucked into the fray, telling himself that he was doing it solely to save Neville. Ron rose out of the fight and released an animalistic roar. He swung his head violently from left to right, slinging blood over all of the spectators. None of the girls moved to stop the brawl, but rather watched it with all of the fascination of muggle spectators at the scene of a car wreck.  
  
Hermione was nearly taken into the mess as two identical Weasley's rushed past to aid their brother and surrogate brother in the four on two odds.  
  
"I know Kung Fu!" Came Lee's only warning as he followed his best friends directly into the fray.  
  
"Seamus's sister," Sawyer answered Astrid's unanswered question.  
  
"Karey?" Astrid asked brightly, not bothering to hide the ever-so- slightly hopeful look on her face.  
  
"No," Sawyer said, but that was the only word he managed to utter.  
  
"FREEZE!" Roared a magnificent voice from the doorway. They froze.  
  
*****  
  
The nine of them sat on a bench in the hallway outside Dumbledore's office. Ron sat on the complete left. His nose had gone to roughly the same size and color as a purple tennis ball. Both of his eyes were turning rapidly black form the nose injury. A large fist shaped bruise formed on his left cheek. The way he kept nervously touching the back of his head said Seamus had managed to remove a good portion of Ron's hair in his attempt to make sure Ron's face and he hearth were fully acquainted. Harry sat next to Ron sporting a swollen blackened left eye that wouldn't stop watering and a swollen left fist with ripped knuckles he'd received when he aimed for Dean's face but due to his lack of glasses, punched the floor instead.  
  
Next to Harry, Neville had an ice pack held to his left knee and a handkerchief held to his right eyebrow to staunch the flow of blood from a cut that ran right through the feature. Lee was next in line. He held a dread lock in his hands and the way he kept looking down the bench at Dean suggested it wasn't his own. As the last participant in the fight, he had only managed to obtain a few bruises, a couple of scrapes and a particularly vicious set of five scratches down the right side of his face. The center three dribbled blood. Next to Lee, George seemed to be completely oblivious to his rapidly swelling left eye and totally interested in a mark on his left arm.  
  
Fred tentatively ran his fingers over his severely busted lips. He reached a spot where he thought he'd felt his teeth actually go through his lip and winced. Kissing Hermione was going to be the kind of fun that just wasn't.  
  
Kyle's right shirtsleeve was missing entirely. He had claw marks to match Lee's running down his right bicep. His nose dripped blood at a fairly steady pace. Blood trickled down Dean's face from a patch just at his hairline. Lee had taken scalp when he'd pulled Dean's hair. His hand, like Harry's was bloodied but mostly because the Weasley twins were just too damned fast to hit.  
  
Seamus, the bench's final occupant, looked nearly as bad as Ron. When Harry had tackled him, Seamus's face under Harry's weight had skied across first the hearth, then the carpet. His left cheek and the majority of his nose and forehead was completely void of skin, first from scrapes, then carpet burn. One of his teeth felt loose and he had quite the distinct feeling someone had landed a knee, foot, elbow or fist in an area where the sun didn't shine. All nine of them were covered in scratches and slowly forming bruises.  
  
A smoking flash went off just in front of the boys. Ron rose to go after the person holding the camera but Harry grabbed him by the back of his shirt and pulled him back to the seat. Colin ran around the corner, camera clutched tightly in both hands.  
  
"You're probably in enough trouble already," he muttered.  
  
"And if you went after Colin Creevey every time he got on your nerves, he'd probably be dead already," Fred added. Ron leaned around Harry and glared down the bench at Seamus. Harry smashed his good fist into Ron's right knee, causing Ron to turn his glare on Harry.  
  
"What was that for?" he hissed.  
  
"To keep you from jumping into something that you could really get in trouble for. Right now you're probably the most innocent one of the entire group and I'd hope you'd fancy staying that way for once," Harry replied. Ron instantly looked down at his feet, rubbing the spot on his knee Harry had just punched.  
  
"What do you have to say for yourselves?" a voice from just in front of the boys said. All nine looked up to see the severe form of Albus Dumbledore looking down on them, flanked by McGonagall. The boys remained silent for a moment. George finally spoke up.  
  
"Someone fights like a girl!" he announced. "I've been bitten and Lee over there has claw marks down his face." McGonagall glared at the younger twin while Dumbledore had to bite back a laugh. George glared down the bench at Kyle, Dean, and Seamus.  
  
"Don't look at me," Kyle insisted. "I got clawed just as badly as Lee did."  
  
"Someone!" Dean cried with a very pointed look directly at Lee. "Pulls hair!"  
  
"I suppose, boys, a better question would be why I found the lot of you rolling in the floor like you were in a barroom brawl in the middle of your common room when I came in to give one of your number some news," Dumbledore said. Eight of the number looked down the row at Seamus. He took a deep breath. Dean clapped his friend on his shoulder.  
  
"I got an owl from my little sister Edana telling me that my older sister Laurelai had been killed and my littlest sister Tallulah was missing," Seamus began.  
  
"So THAT'S what I said!" Ron cried. Dean, Seamus, and Kyle all glared down the row at Ron.  
  
"Ron came in the common room and said 'Why does it look as though someone has died?'" Dean continued the story. "So Seamus sort of lost it and attacked him."  
  
"I didn't realize someone actually had died!" Ron said, quite sheepishly. He had gone pale under his quickly purpling nose. Tears trailed down Seamus's cheeks.  
  
"Mr. Potter, you're a prefect, why didn't you stop them?" McGonagall asked, glaring down her nose at Harry.  
  
"I think Hermione was planning on it, professor, but I threw my glasses at her and she dropped her wand," Harry replied.  
  
"Why did you throw your glasses at Miss Granger?" McGonagall asked.  
  
"Because Seamus was beating Ron's face into the hearth," Harry said.  
  
"So you decided to go to your best friend's aid," McGonagall assumed. Harry nodded and looked down at his torn hand.  
  
"Then what happened?" Dumbledore asked. He had a merry twinkle in his eye that suggested he was slightly amused by the boys' tale.  
  
"It wasn't bloody fair that Harry AND Ron were fighting Seamus," Dean said.  
  
"So you jumped in," Dumbledore guessed. Dean nodded. He, too, looked down at his bloodied fist.  
  
"I got pushed in," Neville declared. "When Dean jumped in they all rolled into me and I just fell." Dumbledore smiled benevolently at the boy. Kyle looked up at the headmaster.  
  
"Someone had to save Neville!" he said.  
  
"So you went on a rescue mission," Dumbledore said. Kyle nodded with a smile.  
  
"Gryffindor Bravery and all," he said. McGonagall's face, if possible, became more severe.  
  
"What about you three, then?" Dumbledore asked, looking at the twins and Lee.  
  
"Four on two isn't what you'd call fair odds," Fred announced.  
  
"So the three of you decided to even things up a bit." George and Lee both nodded.  
  
"I know kung fu," Lee said with a bright smile. George reached over and smacked Lee lightly on the back of his head. He rubbed the spot and shook Dean's dread at George.  
  
"Merlin Lee, that's nasty. Give Dean his hair back!" George insisted.  
  
"No thanks," Dean said. "He can keep it." McGonagall coughed, catching all of the boys' attention.  
  
"You mean to tell me that the majority of boys in Gryffindor tower above fifth year decided to brawl in the middle of the floor because the youngest Mr. Weasley said something stupid?" McGonagall asked.  
  
"Like that's never happened before," Fred muttered. The rest of the group exchanged looks before nodding.  
  
"That is simply the most absurd thing I think I've heard," McGonagall said. "I don't know where to even begin handing out punishments."  
  
"Allow me, then," Dumbledore said. "I believe your house is in need of you. Both your council and your assistance in removing blood from the carpet." McGonagall nodded curtly and turned on her heel to head back towards Gryffindor tower. As soon as she turned the corner, Dumbledore looked back at the nine boys. He looked slowly from Ron to Seamus. Somewhere between Harry and Neville, he began chuckling and by the time his gaze fell on Seamus, he was howling with laughter. The boys exchanged nervous glances but none of them said anything.  
  
"I must remember to ask Colin Creevey for a copy of the picture he inevitably took," Dumbledore muttered as his laughter subsided. He looked at the boys. "Now then. Ron, did you have prior knowledge of Seamus's family situation before you made the comment you made before you made it."  
  
"No sir," Ron replied. "We had just gotten back from." Harry's elbow to his side cut off his sentence before he could give them away.  
  
"We had just gotten back to the common room, sir," Harry said.  
  
"Seamus, why did you attack Ron?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"I thought everyone had heard Karey screaming for me when she got the owl from Edana. She was rather loud, and I just didn't think that Ron possibly wasn't in the room and didn't know what was going on," Seamus said. "So when he said what he did, I lost it."  
  
"In my defense, the first upset person I saw was Lavender and I thought she was crying because her boyfriend had dumped her or something. I didn't even see Seamus or Karey before I opened my fat mouth," Ron said.  
  
"I think I'm the one with the fat mouth here," Fred muttered.  
  
"Seamus, Ron, step up here for a moment," Dumbledore said. The pair struggled off the bench and walked over to the head master. Dumbledore placed his right hand on Ron's left shoulder and his left hand on Seamus's right shoulder and turned the boys to face each other.  
  
"When I step away and let you go, it is your opportunity to finish the fight in the manner you see fit. I will ask the rest of you to stay seated, as this is between Mr. Weasley and Mr. Finnegan. Ready?" Dumbledore asked. Both boys nodded. Dumbledore released their shoulders and took two steps backwards from the pair. Seamus didn't move. He simply eyed Ron stonily and waited for the attack he expected. Ron took two steps towards the boy. Seamus steeled himself for the punch Ron was about to throw. Ron reached up and ran his fingers lightly down the bridge of his nose. Seamus's eyes closed and he turned his head towards the floor. Tears still leaked from under the lowered lashes.  
  
Ron pulled his right arm back next to his shoulder and lunged towards Seamus. He tossed his arm around the smaller boys shoulders and clapped him twice on his back in a rough hug.  
  
"I'm sorry," he said. Seamus sniffed loudly and Ron stepped back from him. "I didn't mean it man."  
  
"I smashed your face into the hearth and you're not going to pound me now that you have the opportunity?" Seamus asked. Ron shook his head. He clapped Seamus on his shoulder again and stepped over to retake his seat next to Harry. Seamus collapsed on the bench next to Dean. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. He lay his forehead on the palms of his hands so no one could see his face. The other eight boys tried to ignore the fierce shaking his shoulders were doing.  
  
"Congratulations boys, you just brought yourselves and your friends immunity from the two weeks of detention with Filch that is the punishment for brawling," Dumbledore announced. The boys looked relieved, but Dumbledore continued.  
  
"However, you are not getting way from this without punishment. None of you will magically alter your injuries. Seamus, I shall allow you to mask yours so you don't have to tell your parents when you go home for the funeral. However, the rest of you, if you magically heal yourselves, you will serve three weeks of detention with Mr. Filch," Dumbledore said. The boys still looked relieved, though Ron did tentatively run his fingers across his nose.  
  
"You may go back to the common room and assist in cleaning up the mess the nine of you made."  
  
*****  
  
"Malfoy," the familiar silky voice issued from the shadows. Draco didn't even jump, but merely looked up from his potions homework.  
  
"Borgin," he said. Contessa slid into the empty chair at the other end of the table where Draco worked. Her long hair hung loose over her shoulders and she wore a dark forest green sweater that looked to be hand knitted and black skirts.  
  
"Do you have information for me?" he asked.  
  
"Do you have payment for me?" she questioned. Draco reached into his bag and pulled out three books.  
  
"My little sister stole them from father's library," he explained as he laid them on the table. Contessa tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and pulled at one of the bangles on her wrist.  
  
"He's a seventh year Quidditch player, not a prefect, not a Slytherin," Contessa said. She eased out of her chair and reached for the books.  
  
"No name?" he asked.  
  
"Oh, I know a name," she replied. She tucked the books under her arm and slid back towards the shadows. "You didn't pay for a name." 


	42. Chapter 42

Second update in as many days. Who is proud of me?  
  
JKR owns them. There is a Buffy reference and a Monty Python reference also.  
  
Please review.  
  
Thanks nat.  
  
*****  
  
Keiran stood in the middle of the floor of the main dungeon in Malfoy Manor. A figure Astrid recognized as Voldemort, along with six men stood around the young boy. Keiran wore a black cloak, similar to those of the Death Eaters. The hood was pushed back and he looked up at the men surrounding him with a look of wide-eyed wonder on his face. His white- blonde hair hung back from his face as he watched the six men circle him. A small figure in the corner watched with more of a wide-eyed horror displayed in her silvery eyes. The seven men began a chant as they circled the boy. Astrid felt a sharp pain begin in her chest, and looked down only to notice a silvery-blue substance swirling out in front of her. The substance trailed over to her brother and clouded around him, partially obscuring her view of him. The pain in her chest grew worse. The men were relentless in their chanting. Astrid's mouth flew open in a silent scream and everything slowly went black.  
  
Astrid sat straight up in her bed and looked at her watch. 6:15 a.m. Her forehead was damp from a cold sweat that had broken out due to her dream, and her ankle was throbbing excruciatingly. She looked at the beds of her dorm mates. Hailey, Madeline, and Evelyn still slept, but Karey lay flat on her back, clutching her teddy bear and staring at the ceiling. She hadn't slept much in the two weeks since Tallulah had disappeared. Astrid reached out to her nightstand and grabbed her journal. She opened the book, removed the quill from its holder, and flipped to a blank page. She pulled her curtains completely closed and stretched out on her bed to write.  
  
Kat,  
It's me again. So I had another dream about the ceremony that's supposed to take place this summer. I'm almost certain I die in the end. Everything goes black and I wake up, but my research and the downright painfulness of the dream makes me believe that I probably won't see the next school year. To say that scares me is the understatement of the century. I haven't told anyone about it. I'm afraid the boys and Dennis would stop talking to me and try to distance themselves from me to make it less painful for them when it happens. Hermione, Harry and Ron, I tend to think would worry. They've got enough to worry about as it is. Somehow saving the world seems a bit more important than a first year's problems. Okay. A lot more important than my problems. I should owl Dray, but after the attempt on his life, I seem to think that he's got more to worry about than this too. And besides, Lucius told me when I was eight that I wouldn't live to see my twelfth birthday, so it's not as though I haven't been expecting this. The nightmares suck, but I can handle them. Less than five months left with them anyway. I tend to think I'm being selfish about the whole matter anyway. I wasn't scared about it before, but now I'm here, and learning magic, and actually have good friends who know who and what I am and simply don't care. I don't want to leave them. That is selfish of me, isn't it?  
  
Hot tears splashed down on the page, smearing the ink in places.  
  
And now that the time is getting closer, I think I'm more scared because it seems more real. And the dreams... I don't want to die lying in the corner of the dungeon. Okay, so the corner of the dungeon wouldn't be bad if I could have someone there with me to hold my hand through it all. But a request to have Draco there would probably get him killed too, and he already watched Barrett go. I don't want to put him through watching me too. The only thing keeping me from laughing in all of their faces as I sail off the Astronomy Tower is the thought that just maybe by some freak accident I'll live through the ceremony and then all of this worry was for nothing. Well, okay, the thought of living through the ceremony and also the thought of the pain of hitting the ground after jumping. Well, I hear Karey and Madeline up. And this is slightly depressing anyway. I think I shall go get ready for the day. I'll write more soon.  
  
Love Always  
  
Astrid Malfoy  
  
*****  
  
"Banana," Astrid announced as she slid into her usual seat at breakfast wit Jason, Sawyer, Dennis and Nathan.  
  
"Banana?" Ron asked. Astrid nodded. She plucked a piece of toast from the top of a stack near Sawyer and smeared it liberally with jam.  
  
"It's what your nose looks like this morning," the tiny girl explained before sinking her teeth into her toast. Ron ran his fingers down his nose. Madame Pomfrey had set it the muggle way. This involved plenty of screaming like a first year girl on his part and a great amount of pointing and laughing on Astrid's.  
  
"Did I mention rotten?" Astrid asked over her toast. "Definitely throw rotten in there." Ron glared at the girl. The swelling around his nose and eyes had all but disappeared, but the bruises had yet to fade. They had turned the brown and yellow shade that almost healed bruises do.  
  
"Thank you, Miss Malfoy," Ron growled, glaring at the first year.  
  
"You're welcome," Astrid replied brightly. Hermione folded her Daily Prophet and slapped it on the table with a sigh.  
  
"Any word?" Ron asked.  
  
"Not a thing," Hermione said. "It's been over two weeks and they're chasing their tails. Don't even really know where to start looking." She sighed and spooned a bit of eggs into her mouth.  
  
"Bloody Ministry," Ron muttered.  
  
"She could be anywhere though Ron," Astrid said. "And if they killed her, three year old bodies would be relatively easy to hide." Ron looked across the table at the tiny blonde.  
  
"What would you know about that?" Ron questioned. Astrid's face morphed into a tiny scowl, identical to Draco's signature expression.  
  
"Ron, what would I know about it?" she asked. She jumped up from the bench and took off towards the doors of the Hall. Only as the trio and first years watched her hasty exit did they notice her favoring her right foot severely as she walked. Harry reached over and tapped Ron lightly on the back of his head.  
  
"Hermione," Ron said, looking down at his plate.  
  
"What?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Could you fix it so I can't talk. Ever. Again?" Ron requested.  
  
*****  
  
Outside the great hall, tears began to trail down Astrid's face. Her ankle still hurt from her dream. Severely. As though Voldemort was attempting to separate Keiran from her already. This pain went all of the way to the bone and radiated almost to her knee. Then Ron's comment had hit her harder than it should have. She decided to credit that to her throbbing ankle. She began limping down the stairs towards the potions dungeon. She hoped Sawyer or Jason would have the presence of mind to bring her bag along for her. She stared at the floor as she walked, to hide the tears in her eyes from any casual observers. She turned the corner onto another hall and instantly stepped into something very solid. She reeled backwards and looked up, only to stare directly at a Slytherin House crest on a black robe. She gasped and took two steps backwards, preparing to apologize.  
  
"Lost?" a not unkind voice asked. Astrid shook her head no. The Slytherin hooked a finger under her chin and gently moved her head up to face him. Astrid slowly released the breath she'd been holding.  
  
"You've been crying," Draco said. Astrid nodded.  
  
"Tell me?" the older boy requested.  
  
"Combination of something stupid someone said, a nightmare or two, and some fierce ankle pain," Astrid explained.  
  
"Want to talk about it?" he asked. Astrid shrugged.  
  
"What's there to say?" Astrid questioned. The tears started to pour faster. "My dream was about the ceremony." Draco stepped over and put his back against the wall. He slid down until he was seated on the floor. Then he patted a spot right next to him. Astrid sat. She folded her legs Indian style beneath her and rested her elbows on her knees. She placed her forehead on her clenched fists. Draco leaned back against the all with his feet pulled in towards his body and extended his arms straight out across his knees.  
  
"That," he muttered.  
  
"Yes. That." Astrid echoed. "Can you do me a favor?"  
  
"What?" Draco asked warily. He didn't want to agree to anything he couldn't do.  
  
"Make sure they don't get to Emma and the baby," Astrid requested.  
  
"I can try, Astrid, but they almost got me. I'm supposed to be the strongest one. And why are you putting me up to this?" he questioned.  
  
"You know as well as I do that I probably won't make it past June. From what I can tell, they're planning to rid Kei of the parasite that is me. Every dream I've had has showed me dead. Everything I've read about separating twins says it usually kills the twin in my role. At very least, I'll be a squib," Astrid cried.  
  
"Have you read anything about things you can do to protect yourself?" Draco questioned. He wanted to tell her that everything would be fine and she'd be perfectly okay, but from what he'd heard, he would be lying if he did. Astrid shook her head.  
  
"The ceremony is antiquated. When it was performed regularly, it was because people thought twins were one person who had been split in two. Because of this, neither twin would amount to much because they only had half the magic they needed. They chose the stronger twin and performed the ceremony, which took the magic out of the weaker twin and gave it to the stronger twin. This usually killed the supposedly weaker twin," Astrid explained.  
  
"Can I give you some brotherly advice here? I know I haven't done it before much, but I think I've got some now," Draco said.  
  
"Sure," Astrid sniffed.  
  
"Who are your best friends?" Draco asked.  
  
"Dennis and Jason and Sawyer and Emma," Astrid listed.  
  
"Besides them," Draco prompted. "The famous ones." This came through clenched teeth, as though admitting they were famous and his sister's friends hurt him.  
  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione?" Astrid questioned.  
  
"Right in one," Draco replied. "Or three. Set the mudblood loose in the library. Tell her your problem then let her go and see what she comes up with."  
  
"Okay," Astrid agreed. "I will."  
  
"Alright. I need to go grab some breakfast before class," Draco stood. "I'll also owl Emma and tell her to keep her ears open." Astrid stood and faced her brother.  
  
"Owl me if you need anything," he offered. Astrid nodded. Draco reached over and tousled her white-blonde hair.  
  
"Thanks," she whispered. She stepped around him and started down the hall. He watched her limp away.  
  
"And Draco?" Astrid asked, when she got to the other end of the corridor. She stopped and turned to face him.  
  
"Yeah?" he replied.  
  
"Don't call her a mudblood," Astrid scolded. She quickly stepped around the corner before Draco could reply. He shook his head and turned back to head towards breakfast. He took a few steps before he felt the increasingly familiar sensation of someone watching him.  
  
"Borgin," he guessed, beating her to the punch. He heard a right throaty laugh from the shadows.  
  
"Malfoy," Contessa said. She stepped into the hallway just in front of the fifth year. "You're getting good at this."  
  
"You could be a little less creepy, you know," Draco spat.  
  
"What's the fun in that?" Contessa asked. She laughed again.  
  
"What do you want?" Draco asked, glaring at the older girl. Her laughter died down to a low chuckle. She tucked a strand of hair back into the messy bun on top of her head. The signature bold bangles slid towards her elbow as she did so. She blinked those weird golden brown eyes twice at Draco.  
  
"I don't think the question is what I want, but what you want," Contessa replied.  
  
"What I want?" Draco said, glaring at the mysterious girl before him. Contessa held her hands out to her sides.  
  
"That is what I said," she replied.  
  
"Wait. Let me make sure I have the full measure of this. You appear when you think I need your assistance, you charge me an outrageous fee, and then you don't even give me the information I need?"  
  
"Wouldn't want to make it easy for you," Contessa purred.  
  
"Now you think I need your help again? And after last time you think I'll take it?" Draco asked. Contessa nodded.  
  
"I hardly think so!" Draco spat. Contessa reached out and dragged a long shimmering dark green fingernail down his jawbone, starting just below his ear and leaving off at his chin. Draco found himself mesmerized by the girl's touch and entranced by her eyes.  
  
"Meet me in the Transfiguration Classroom during lunch today," she whispered. She stepped close enough that they were almost touching, but not quite. Their only point of contact remained her finger on his chin. He could smell the scent of lavender or perhaps jasmine incense wafting off her hair.  
  
"No," he managed to choke out. "I don't need your help." He sensed Contessa's lips hovering just next to his left ear.  
  
"Meet me in the Transfiguration classroom during lunch," she repeated, voice barely audible. He felt her hot breath on his ear and he was paralyzed. She slipped away from him and slid back into the shadows before he could find his voice for another protest. He tentatively reached up and brushed his hand over his still tingling ear.  
  
*****  
  
"What should I do, short of permanently hexing my mouth shut?" Ron asked. He ran both hands through his hair, causing it to stand straight up.  
  
"Ron, it's Astrid," Hermione said. "Be realistic."  
  
"Call her chica, and punch her brother and everything will be right in her world," Harry supplied. Hermione laughed appreciatively but Ron just scowled. Harry shrugged.  
  
"So all it took was Seamus forcing you to eat rock to make you calm down?" Harry laughed. "Wish we'd though of that sooner!"  
  
"Not funny, Harry, that really hurt!" Ron spat. He ran his fingers down his still sore nose. The injury had most healed but due to the severity of the break, his nose deviated to the left slightly. Parvati sighed and called the new look dreamy. Mandy declared herself the luckiest witch in Hogwarts. Hermione and Hannah rolled their eyes through the whole ordeal.  
  
"I'm sure," Harry said. "I never said it looked like it felt good!" Harry's black eye had faded to the point it looked like he was wearing purplish-blue eye shadow.  
  
"If you're so worried that she'll hate you, take her flying after practice tonight," he suggested.  
  
"Harry, man, you're a genius!" Ron declared.  
  
"No," Harry objected. "That's Hermione. I'm the boy with the halfway decent luck that gets us into messes."  
  
"It's okay," Hermione assured him. "We love you anyway." The trio stepped into the Defense against the Dark Arts class.  
  
"Guys, Professor Dumbledore couldn't be here today. He left us a note that we all have to touch before it will show us instructions for the class," Parvati explained. Parvati, Lavender, Dean, Seamus, and Neville already stood in the center of the room, crowded around a piece of parchment. Ron and Hermione stepped over and each placed a finger on the paper. Harry stood back for a moment.  
  
"Come on, Harry," Neville insisted.  
  
"Did anyone check to make sure that's not a port key?" He asked.  
  
"Stop being paranoid, Potter," Seamus scolded.  
  
"Portkeys can't be timed by people Harry, they're set by times!" Hermione insisted. Harry shrugged and stepped up between his best friends. He noticed Ron's wand in his shirt pocket and Hermione's tucked in the waistband of hers skirt. He wedged himself between Ron and Hermione and took a deep breath.  
  
"Stop being such a pansy, Potter, and touch the paper!" Seamus demanded, jokingly. Harry reached out and rested a finger on the paper.  
  
"Now then," Seamus began. Before he could finish his sentence, the group felt the familiar hooking sensation behind their navels. They all pitched forward and moments later found themselves tumbling into a pile in grass. Harry was the first to pull himself from the pile.  
  
"Can I say I told you so yet?" Harry questioned. Seamus pulled the parchment from Neville's trembling fingers.  
  
"We have your professor," he read. "If you want him back, come get him in the house on the hill."  
  
"So we're on a rescue mission." Dean muttered as he turned to look at the house just behind him. "I heard about this from Kyle Burns. Dumbledore is his own captor and we have to get through a series of obstacles he set up to get to him. At least I think."  
  
"What do we do?" Neville asked, voice shaking slightly. Seamus shrieked as the letter burst into flames and burned in his hand.  
  
"Go get him," Harry, Ron and Hermione chorused.  
  
"Wouldn't it just be smarter to go back and get help?" Parvati queried. Ron and Hermione looked at Harry for guidance.  
  
"Would you like to sit up there waiting while we run back to Hogwarts for help?" Harry snapped.  
  
"Where are we anyway?" Ron asked.  
  
"Exactly!" Harry cried.  
  
"Point proven, point proven," Parvati muttered.  
  
"So what's the plan?" Lavender asked, looking to Harry.  
  
"Can I conference with Ron and Hermione for a moment?" Harry requested. Seamus and Dean nodded Harry pulled his two best friends several meters away form the group.  
  
"Why does he have to conference with Ron and Hermione?" Lavender questioned.  
  
"Cor, Lavender! How many times have the three of them saved the bloody day?" Seamus asked. "Let them have a bloody conference if they want a conference!"  
  
"Plan?" Harry asked when his friends were sufficiently out of earshot of the rest of the group.  
  
"Plan," Ron echoed. "Since when do we make plans?"  
  
"Since this became a fifth year Gryffindor thing rather than a three of us thing," Hermione said.  
  
"Exactly," Harry agreed. "So what should we do?"  
  
"Stick together," Ron and Hermione chorused.  
  
"Right," Harry said. "And don't leave anyone behind."  
  
"Of course not," Ron said. Hermione just nodded.  
  
"I'll lead, Ron, you should bring up the rear and make sure no one gets behind you," Harry instructed. Ron nodded.  
  
"What about me?" Hermione questioned.  
  
"Stay invisible," Harry replied.  
  
"Invisible?" Hermione asked indignantly. "Just because I'm a girl and usually handle the research end of things doesn't mean I'm not just as capable as you two at fighting!"  
  
"I never said you weren't," Harry replied. "I simply meant to stay completely invisible like Bill taught us so you can get out and save us all if something were to go weird," Harry said. Hermione mouth snapped shut and she instantly turned bright red.  
  
"Oh," she squeaked. "I can do that." She quickly faded to invisibility. Ron reached over and patted her invisible head.  
  
"Ready then?" Harry asked. Ron and Hermione nodded, though they couldn't see Hermione. Ron and Harry turned back towards the rest of the group.  
  
"Have a good conference?" Lavender asked cheerfully. Harry and Ron nodded.  
  
"Have a plan?" Dean asked. The boys nodded again.  
  
"I'm leading, Ron's brining up the rear, the rest of you keep your wands out and ready and stay between us. Stick together and no one gets left behind," Harry explained.  
  
"Problem!" Lavender announced. "My wand is back at Hogwarts!"  
  
"Lavender!" Seamus, Dean, and Parvati chorused. The blonde shrugged. She looked down at her shoes and picked up a stick. She broke it off about the length of a wand and held it pointed at Seamus.  
  
"There," she announced. "It looks like I'm armed and if anything gets too close, I'll just beat it with the stick!"  
  
"Where did we find you?" Seamus asked. Lavender just smiled at him.  
  
"Where's Hermione?" Dean questioned.  
  
"Acting as our back up," Harry replied. "Now if you lot are quite ready, lets go. Stay close, stay quiet, and hex anything that moves." He started towards the house. Seamus and Neville stepped up to flank him. Lavender and Parvati filed into line behind Seamus and Neville and Dean fell in step with Ron at the back of the group. Harry led the group up to the gates in front of the house without incident. The gates, however, slammed shut as soon as they got within two meters of them. The gates were about eight feet tall and made of wrought iron. The bars of the gates were spaced about 6 inches apart, too close together for anyone to fit through. The tops of the gates were topped with six-inch spikes that gave them a very lethally foreboding air. Harry tucked his wand into his pocket and walked up to the gates. He placed a hand on each of them and shook fiercely. They didn't budge.  
  
"What do you propose we do?" Seamus asked. After the incident with the fight two weeks earlier, all of the Gryffindor boys were closer than they had ever been. Hermione had spent much time rolling her eyes at the five of them. Just like boys, to have the brawl of the year to bring them closer.  
  
"Climb it," Harry said, shaking the gates again. They still didn't move.  
  
"Climb?" Parvati asked. "You expect me of no athletic ability to climb? That?"  
  
"No Parvati," Dean said. "We expect you to grow wings and fly over it." Lavender laughed at the pair of them.  
  
"Don't laugh, stick girl," Parvati spat.  
  
"Who is going first?" Seamus asked.  
  
"I will," Harry volunteered. "And then you or Dean can come over. Ron, and whoever is left can stay on this side and help Lavender and Parvati over and then they can climb over themselves."  
  
"But," Ron began. Harry shot him a look that said, "You're responsible for Hermione."  
  
"Sounds like a plan," Seamus said.  
  
"You're getting awfully good at those," Ron muttered. Harry wrapped his hands around the bar and placed one foot under them.  
  
"Someone be ready to catch me if I fall," he said. Seamus and Dean both nodded. Parvati cast a quick charm to cushion the ground on the other side.  
  
"It's cushioned over there," she said. Harry nodded. He put his other foot on the bar, and using his weight to balance himself, began an awkward walk up the bar. He went hand over hand and moved his feet slowly to propel himself towards the top.  
  
"Harry man, if you slip, Little Harry is going to cease to exist," Seamus called. Harry tried not to let his classmate's comment get to him. He finally reached the top of the gate and glanced back at his friends.  
  
"Cushioned," Parvati reminded him. With that, he sprang over the top, careful not to catch his stomach on the spikes. He hit the ground in a roll, and thanks to Parvati's charm, didn't hurt himself at all.  
  
"Hey wait, stick girl has an idea here that may actually be better than Harry Potter's," Lavender announced, just as Dean was preparing to scale the gates.  
  
"So lets have it," Dean said.  
  
"All of us," she paused for a moment. "Okay, all of us save me can cast a levitation charm, right?" Her classmates all nodded.  
  
"Well now that Harry has proved once again that he's super human, why don't the rest of us just levitate?" the blonde questioned.  
  
"Crikey, I believe stick girl has a plan," Seamus announced. Dean stepped away from the gate. Only then did Ron realize Hermione had been muttering "wingardium leviosa" repetitively under her breath so only he could hear. She landed a heel on his toes because Lavender got her idea before Ron could pick up on it.  
  
"Who is first?" Harry asked, wand out.  
  
"Send stick girl, it was her idea," Parvati said. Lavender nodded her assent. Harry quickly levitated her over the gate.  
  
"Now how much easier was that than what you did?" she asked. Hermione jerked an elbow into Ron's side.  
  
"Be still," she muttered. Ron froze. Hermione clambered onto his back.  
  
"Now we don't have to give me up," she whispered into his ear. He turned back to the gate where Lavender was using her trusty stick to pretend to levitate Parvati over the gate.  
  
"If I ever need rescuing, please send someone besides this lot," Hermione begged from her spot on Ron's back.  
  
"Don't worry. Harry and I will come for you if you ever need rescuing," he agreed. Harry quickly levitated Seamus over the gate. Seamus turned and got Dean, while Harry took care of Parvati. This left Ron and Hermione for Harry to lift as soon as Parvati had landed. Dean pulled Neville across. Lavender had taken to bouncing on the ground, as it was still soft from Parvati's cushioning charm.  
  
"This is really neat!" she said.  
  
"Lav, love, if I ever need rescuing, don't come along," Seamus joked. Lavender quit bouncing and glared at the boy. He smiled sheepishly.  
  
"Come on guys, to the house," Harry insisted. "Back like you were before we decided to fly." Ron had to literally pry Hermione off his back. If flying a broom scared Hermione, flying a Ron scared her even more. Harry started towards the house, and everyone fell into position behind him. About 200 steps from the gate, they ran into their next obstacle. Harry stopped to listen for any approaching danger. The only thing he heard was the sound of his classmates crashing into each other behind him due to his sudden stop. As soon as he was still for more than five seconds, his feet began sinking into the mud.  
  
"HOLY COOKIE DOUGH!" Seamus cried, when he realized the mud had risen to fully cover his boots.  
  
"Is the mud a Snape fecking son uv a bitch too?" Dean asked, as he tried to pry a foot from the mud. At this point, Harry was up to his mid shins in mud.  
  
"Any more bright ideas, stick girl?" Parvati asked. "These are new shoes."  
  
"Yeah, as a matter of fact, I do have an idea," Lavender said. She twisted around to face Dean. "Here Thomas, reach down and grab my knee." Dean did as he was instructed, lacing his fingers behind Lavender's left knee.  
  
"Now pull my foot towards you," Lavender instructed. Dean gave the girls knee a not so gentle tug and her foot flew free of the mud. Her other foot also flew free, as Dean kept pulling even after her left knee was free. Her momentum carried her directly backwards, where she landed flat on her back in the mud. Brown mud splattered up over her blonde hair and coated her school uniform.  
  
"This has to be the most spectacularly icky thing I think I've ever done," Lavender cried from her spot in the mud.  
  
"You're not sinking," Seamus observed. Lavender turned her head to look at the knees of those about her.  
  
"You're right, I'm not!" she cried. "More points for stick girl!" She bent her knees up and began an awkward sort of crawl towards the edge of the mud. She slid along flat on her back, pushing mud out of the way with her head, propelled by her feet. She clamped her hands over her face to keep the mud out of her face. When she reached the edge of the mud, she stood. Her entire back was coated with mud.  
  
"Yep, spectacularly nasty, but I'm out!" she cried.  
  
"Who is next?" Dean asked.  
  
"Me before my knees disappear?" Harry requested. Seamus reached down and flipped Harry to where the boy was lying flat on his back. Following Lavender's example, he covered his face and slid to the edge of the mud. Meanwhile, Seamus had freed Neville and Parvati and Dean had freed Ron. Hermione had hissed to Ron that she had been trailing far enough to avoid the mud. The trio lying in the mud looked like disoriented brown crabs as they pushed themselves towards Lavender and Harry.  
  
"Now how is the last person going to get out of this?" Dean asked, eyeing Seamus warily. Seamus reached over and knocked Dean into the mud.  
  
"Stupid human trick I learned to impress my little sisters," he said. Dean shrugged as much as one can when lying half in thick mud and began moving towards the edge. Seamus carefully put his hands above his head and began bending over backwards to touch his hands in the mud. He had planned on doing a backbend and lowering himself into the mud. As soon as his hands touched the mud, they sunk to his elbows, so only his arms, head and legs were in the mud with no hope for the rest of him, short of dislocating a couple of joints.  
  
"Wait, I've got this one," Harry said, pulling out his wand. "Accio Seamus." The Irishman shot out of the mud and directly at Harry. He fell to a stop at Harry's feet. Standing, he shook his head and splattered mud over everyone standing near him.  
  
"Couldn't we have just done that to begin with?" Lavender whined. "We would have been much cleaner!"  
  
"You're the genius who decided to crawl. What was your original plan anyway?" Dean asked.  
  
"I was going to crawl up you and jump off of your shoulders towards the bank," Lavender laughed.  
  
"Can we continue?" Ron asked. Forgoing cleaning charms, the very muddy group and the still clean, still invisible Hermione fell back into formation and headed towards the house.  
  
"Don't stop this time," Seamus warned as Harry continued towards their destination. The group made it to the porch without incident. They all climbed onto the rickety old porch. Harry reached for the handle of the front door. Before he could get the door open, a horrific crack sounded and the floor of the porch gave way. The group fell almost 10 meters before coming to a crashing halt on the dirt floor of the pit they had slipped into.  
  
"What do you propose we do now?" Parvati asked. "Any ideas?"  
  
"Stick girl?" Seamus asked.  
  
"Is everyone okay?" Harry questioned. He landed a bit away from the group. Everyone else landed in a tangle of limbs in the center of the floor. The group slowly stood, shaking out their limbs to make sure everything was still in proper working order.  
  
"So we do what now?" Parvati asked. Lavender emitted a bit of a squeak and pointed towards the dark corner. A tall figure in a black robe slid towards the group. Harry turned to see what had been advancing on his back. The rattling breathing suggested dementor, but he didn't necessarily feel cold.  
  
"Boggart," he said. "We know how to fight these." He pointed his wand at this thing and muttered "Riddikulus." The dementor stumbled on his robes and fell face first into the red dirt. Parvati stepped forward. The dementor morphed into a copy of Parvati with shining grey hair, staring at a very empty left hand.  
  
"Riddikulus" Parvati said. Instantly, her clone had a large diamond ring on its ring finger.  
  
"NO WAND!" Lavender screeched when Seamus pushed her forward. She dived backwards and hid behind the boy. The Parvati clone morphed into a tiny girl with Seamus's hair color and the same bright blue eyes. She lay flat on her back on the floor, completely still.  
  
"Lu," Seamus muttered.  
  
"Do the charm," Parvati muttered.  
  
"Riddikulus," Seamus choked out. Tallulah's form jumped up off the floor and vaulted into Seamus's arms. Somehow Ron managed to be the boggart's next victim. The child in Seamus's arms quickly turned into one of Aragog's descendents. Seamus screamed and Parvati and Lavender flattened themselves back against the walls. Dean and Harry gasped and Neville went deathly pale. Ron did a combination of all four. He managed to mutter the charm though, and quickly enough everyone in the hole was laughing as the spiders legless body rolled around on the floor, much as it had back in their third year. Neville stepped up and Professor Snape appeared from the spider's body.  
  
"Riddikulus," the boy muttered, almost as easily as Harry had. Quickly enough, Snape was dressed in a lei, a grass skirt, and coconuts, doing a very graceful hula dance. Lavender and Parvati broke into gales of laughter. Seamus and Dean looked at each other.  
  
"What's the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?" they chorused, before breaking into laughter themselves.  
  
"Merlin Neville, that was a sight I could have lived my whole life without seeing!" Ron cried between bouts of laughter. The hula dancing Professor Snape turned into a dementor and headed back towards Harry. He quickly made the thing fall again. As the rest of his friends were still laughing from Neville's biggest fear, the boggart burst into a puff of smoke.  
  
"Wonderful guys," Harry said, as their laughter subsided.  
  
"Now what?" Lavender said. "I'm ready for something else."  
  
"This coming from the wandless wonder," Seamus muttered.  
  
"I don't think you'd be nearly as attracted to me if I HAD a wand," Lavender replied. She turned back to Harry. "So what's the plan, captain?" Harry turned bright red at Lavender's statement to Seamus.  
  
"Aww look, I made him blush!" Lavender squealed. Harry spluttered a few times in an attempt to regain his voice.  
  
"What's the plan, captain?" Dean asked, in a dead on imitation of Lavender.  
  
"Get out of this hole?" Harry asked.  
  
"You plan on doing this how?" Seamus questioned.  
  
"The same way we got over the gates," Harry said. He pulled his wand and pointed it at Lavender. Before he could fire off the spell to lift the girl, the porch over their heads repaired itself, closing out all daylight.  
  
"That's a hell of a plan, captain, but I hardly think it'll work," Dean said, looking at the ceiling. Hermione muttered a spell sending a jet of her signature bluebell flames to the floor of the makeshift room. They provided an eerie blue cast to everything.  
  
"Any more bright ideas?" Lavender asked. Harry turned around and knocked on the seemingly solid dirt wall behind them. It rang like a drum skin.  
  
"So this wall isn't as solid as I thought it was," Harry said.  
  
"What are we going to do, run through it?" Seamus asked.  
  
"Certainly," Harry replied. "We should only knock a hole big enough for us to go through, so it should work. And I guarantee you this house is held up by magic anyway." Ron quickly fired a spell at the corner where the porch met the dirt wall.  
  
"What?" he asked. "It's the spell that holds the attic on our house. Dad taught it to me last summer after Fred and George blew the entire room off of the top."  
  
"Smart," Harry said. He backed up to stand next to his friend. Seamus and Dean figured out the plan without being told, and Seamus dragged Neville into the line.  
  
"On the count of three," Ron took charge. "Run at the wall."  
  
"One.. Two.." Harry counted. "Three." The five boys charged at the supposedly hollow dirt wall. The five hit the wall at approximately the same time, and at the same time, they fell backwards into the middle of the floor. Lavender and Parvati moved to stand over the boys.  
  
"Any more brilliant plans, skipper?" Dean asked, rubbing the spot where his shoulder made contact with the wall.  
  
"I've got one," Parvati said.  
  
"What's that, Pav?" Dean asked.  
  
"It's a nifty little thing called the Reductor curse that we learned in Defense last year," Parvati replied. "If we all cast them at once, the wall will go away, and you guys will still be here in one piece."  
  
"Why didn't we listen to stick girl's sidekick in the first place?" Dean asked, still rubbing his shoulder.  
  
"Because she didn't speak up," Harry replied.  
  
"Wanted to see if you lot would actually try to charge through the wall," Parvati explained.  
  
"Well we did," Seamus muttered. He jumped up and brushed himself off. "So reductors on three?" Both of the girls nodded as the rest of the boys staggered to their feet. The six present visible with wands turned to face the wall.  
  
"One, Two, THREE!" Lavender cried.  
  
"REDUCTO!" Six voices roared simultaneously. The red clay of the wall blew backwards into the basement of the house.  
  
"See how much better Parvati's idea works?" Parvati asked. All five boys glared at the girl. Harry stepped into the dim basement.  
  
"Someone grab the fire," he muttered. Ron reached down and picked up the fire.  
  
"Alright, ready," Ron said, holding the fire out in front of his body.  
  
"I think Weasley's the super human one in the group!" Lavender squealed.  
  
"I think stick girl wants a sidekick!" Dean laughed.  
  
"Lets go," Harry said. He turned to his right and started down a hallway. Seamus and Neville thought to light their wands and followed him, training the thin beams of light out in front of the leader.  
  
"Stupefy!" a voice from behind the group called. Parvati collapsed, victim of the spell.  
  
"Stupefy, stupefy!" The second spells ricocheted of the walls before dissipating against the back wall. One nearly hit Seamus. Ron spun on his heel and began firing spells back at their attackers. Dean dropped to his knees behind Ron and leaned from behind his cover. He, too, began return fire on their attackers. More stunners, paired with various other jinxes and hexes began flying at the group.  
  
"I know Kung Fu!" Lavender cried, stick pointed at the attackers. Dean reached up and touched the scabbed over spot on his head from his last encounter with someone who knew kung fu. An attacker aimed a spell directly at Lavender's head. She squealed and dropped to the ground. She scrambled between the wall and Parvati's frozen body, using her friend as cover from the fire. Seamus went down, victim of a particularly vicious tickling charm. Ron got caught by a stray stunner and flipped backwards over Dean. While Dean was busy making sure Ron got to the floor safely, he, too, was taken out by a stunner. Harry crouched down behind Seamus, but before he could fire off any more charms, one of the pair of attackers fired a charm that bound him to his friends and pushed them all through the wall into a room next door. The pair of attackers followed and Hermione followed them. She was still invisible. The seven fifth years stopped in the middle of the floor. Seamus still laughed uproariously from the charm. Lavender looked as though she was trying to figure out who found her in the wonderful hiding space she had found. Harry looked generally annoyed, and everyone else was unconscious.  
  
"We shall return with the master momentarily," one of the black robed figures said. He opened a door on the far end of the room and walked out.  
  
"Hermione!" Harry hissed.  
  
"What good is she going to do us?" Lavender asked. "She hasn't been here all along."  
  
"Look, stick girl," Hermione's voice sounded from the wall they had entered the room through. She pulled out her wand and cast a spell, making all of the ropes disappear. Harry jumped to his feet and quickly revived Ron and stopped the tickling charm on Seamus. Hermione revived Parvati, Dean, and Neville.  
  
"Okay guys, they'll be back soon," Harry said.  
  
"Do we have a plan, captain?" Lavender asked with a broad smile at Harry. Harry pointed at the door.  
  
"Hex anything that walks through that," he said.  
  
"With what?" Lavender asked.  
  
"Change of plans for you," Harry said.  
  
"Go stand next to the door and whack anything that walks through with your stick," Seamus laughed.  
  
"Not a bad idea, Seamus," Harry said. "Only I think we should give Dean or Ron or someone the stick rather than Lavender."  
  
"No fair!" Lavender cried. "I found it first."  
  
"May I see the stick pretty please?" Seamus asked. He poked out his bottom lip and widened his eyes in a puppy dog face. Lavender pulled the stick from her pocket and handed it to her boyfriend.  
  
"But only cause you asked nicely," she said. Seamus turned around and tossed the stick to Harry, who threw it to Hermione.  
  
"We need a bat," he announced. Hermione quickly transfigured one from the stick. She handed it back to Harry who handed it to Dean. Dean promptly took the bat and went to stand next to the door.  
  
"Everyone else go stand around the edges of the room. We hex what Dean doesn't hit," Harry instructed. The group dispersed and patiently watched the door. Harry stationed himself in the back corner and watched the rest of the room.  
  
"Good job!" a familiar voice said. The teenagers all turned to look as their DADA professor and headmaster appeared in the center of the room.  
  
"You're here?" Neville asked.  
  
"We freed you?" Lavender questioned.  
  
"Yes, Mr. Longbottom, I am here. No, Miss Brown, you did not fully free me, but I decided that since Mr. Thomas over there was fully ready to decapitate my assistants with the baseball bat, it was time to end the exercise," Dumbledore explained. "You all were only a few moments away from finding me anyway."  
  
"So wait, this was all a class exercise?" Lavender asked.  
  
"Yes, stick girl," Dumbledore replied with a small smile on his face. "You would have had more aid if Mr. Thomas hadn't guessed correctly to begin with. But you found the shortcut as it was. Now if you all would all step over here, we shall go back to Hogwarts so you may change out of your muddy clothes before lunch. For the next class, I want three feet of parchment on the purposes of this exercise besides getting Miss Brown a nickname that she won't soon live down."  
  
*****  
  
"Malfoy," Contessa's voice came from the doorway to the transfiguration classroom.  
  
"Borgin. I'm impressed. You entered through the door and not the shadows," Draco said. He leaned against his desk in the back of the classroom, legs crossed at the ankles, and arms crossed over his chest. Contessa stood framed by the doorway. Her hair was still piled on top of her head. She wore a black robe open over a thick black floor-length skirt that wasn't standard school issue and the white shirt, grey sweater vest and Slytherin tie that were.  
  
"I do allow myself the convention from time to time," Contessa joked. She glided across the room to where he stood. She moved with a mysterious grace, almost as if she wasn't moving at all, but floating through space.  
  
"What do you want?" Draco questioned.  
  
"Draco, I believe we've already been through this," Contessa reminded him.  
  
"Okay, okay," Draco amended. "What do I need?" Contessa smiled at him.  
  
"First of all, you need my silence about the fact that you like your sister a little more than you say you do." Draco opened his mouth to protest. Contessa dragged one of her impossibly long fingernails across his lips, pulling them closed.  
  
"You also need your sister's life," Contessa said. She removed the finger from Draco's lips.  
  
"You think you can help me?" Draco asked. Contessa nodded.  
  
"What can you do that we can't?" Draco questioned.  
  
"Draco, my mother was kicked out of her tribe in Romania when she met my father. Just because she lives in England doesn't mean she stopped practicing the old ways and didn't teach me," Contessa said.  
  
"Whoa, wait," Draco interrupted. "Tribe? Old ways?" Contessa nodded.  
  
"My mother was of a tribe of Romany people, Gypsy, if you will, in central Romania," Contessa explained.  
  
"So you're a gypsy," Draco stuttered. Contessa shrugged easily.  
  
"I am in the I-know-their-magic sense of the word." She looked down at her bangles and skirts. "Okay. I dress sort of like them too."  
  
"Is that how you do the freaky shadows thing?" Draco questioned. Contessa shook her head.  
  
"Those are definitely things I learned from Father's side of the family," she whispered.  
  
"So what can you do for my little sister?" Draco moved to the matter at hand. Contessa stepped back from Draco and began a slow walk around the table. Her feet made no sound on the floor and she tapped her fingers together as she thought.  
  
"Well," she said finally. "I could always place a protection spell on her life force that would allow them to take her magic, but not her life."  
  
"Why couldn't I do that?" Draco asked. Contessa smiled at him.  
  
"Tell me, Draco," she murmured, drawing his name into more than two syllables. "Where exactly is one's life force, what is it, and how much needs to be protected to assure she'll live?" Draco opened his mouth to respond but promptly closed it again. Contessa dragged a fingernail down the bridge of Draco's nose and tapped it once on the end.  
  
"You do need my help," she purred. She stepped close to him, allowing one hand to rest flat against the plane of his chest.  
  
"How much this time?" he questioned.  
  
"I just ask one thing of you," she replied.  
  
"And this is for researching, creating, and casting the spell," Draco clarified. Contessa nodded.  
  
"Just one thing," she insisted. She ran her fingernail over the outside of his left ear.  
  
"What's that?" Draco questioned. Contessa leaned in, letting her lips brush Draco's ear lobe ever so lightly.  
  
"A kiss," she murmured, directly into his ear.  
  
"A kiss," Draco echoed, thoroughly shocked. "Aren't you supposed to ask for my soul or something?" Contessa stepped closer so that mere inches separated their bodies. She laughed lightly before responding.  
  
"We're not in the habit of taking souls, just giving them back," she purred.  
  
"So all you want is a kiss," Draco said, swallowing hard.  
  
"All I'm asking for is a kiss," Contessa corrected. She brushed her lips over his ear lobe again.  
  
"So it's a deal then?" Draco asked. Contessa stepped away form Draco and held out her right hand. He slid his warm hand into her cool one and they shook.  
  
"It's a deal," she agreed.  
  
*****  
  
"Hey chica," Ron said, looking down at the little girl standing next to him on the Quidditch pitch.  
  
"Hey Ron," Astrid replied, staring down at her shoes. "Hermione said for me to meet you out here."  
  
"Are you still mad about this morning?" Ron questioned. Astrid nodded. Ron reached down and tried to pull her face up so she could look at him. She smacked his hand away and shook her head, looking at the ground still.  
  
"I'm sorry," Ron said. "Really, I am. You should know by now that my mouth often talks before my brain has a chance to process what it's saying. And most of the time my mouth is way off in the appropriateness of what comes out." Astrid ventured to look up at Ron out of the corner of her eye.  
  
"Come on, what can I do to make it up to you?" Ron asked.  
  
"Sell you first born as food for the yaks in Siberia," Astrid muttered. Ron looked at the girl as if she had lost her mind.  
  
"What did you just say?" he asked.  
  
"It was just a suggestion." Astrid shrugged.  
  
"Okay. What can I do short of selling my first born?" Ron asked. "How about flying?" Astrid looked up at him with a smile on her face.  
  
"Sounds good to me," she said. Ron picked up his broom and mounted it.  
  
"I'm driving!" Astrid declared. She clambered onto the broom in front of him.  
  
"Merlin help me," Ron said, looking skyward. He quickly kicked off the ground and he and Astrid shot into the air. Astrid squealed as she pulled the broom into a steep climb to the level of the Quidditch goals. She slowly took them in a circuit of the field and the pulled the nose of the broom straight up. They flipped over backwards and did a neat roll before she evened them out.  
  
"Warn me next time, okay?" Ron requested.  
  
"Certainly, banana nose," Astrid squealed. She pulled the broom back to an upside down position.  
  
"Warning," she called.  
  
"Not fair!" Ron insisted. Astrid laughed maniacally. The pair continued flying about the pitch for the next twenty minutes. Then Astrid put them in a steep dive that left Ron ready to jump off the broom before she pulled out of it.  
  
"Land and land now! Your flying is over for the night!" he insisted. Astrid slowly touched down and dismounted the broom. Ron climbed off the broom as well. Before he could pick it up, Astrid turned and flung her arms around his waist.  
  
"Thank you so much!" she said into his chest. He patted the little girl roughly on her back.  
  
"No problem, chica. Just no more freaking out when I say something stupid. Because you know as well as I do that I do more than my fair share of it," he said. Astrid giggled and released her friend.  
  
"I'm sorry I went off," she replied. "I have had an absolutely horrid day. I had a dream about Keiran and You-Know-Who, and then I talked to Draco and things were just rotten."  
  
"What did Draco say?" Ron asked, a threatening tone overtaking his voice.  
  
"Nothing, he was actually helpful. Told me to tell you guys about my problem and see if you could help me," Astrid said.  
  
"Your problem?" Ron questioned.  
  
"Yep," Astrid replied. "You-Know-Who is going to go through a ceremony this summer to make it so Keiran's not my twin anymore. The process of the separation will most likely kill me."  
  
"WHAT?" Ron questioned.  
  
"You heard me," Astrid said. "Kill me. As in this time next year, Astrid Malfoy will cease to exist!"  
  
"And your parents are letting him go through with this?" Ron asked. Astrid nodded. She had begun watching their shoes as they walked, and was amazed at the sheer size of Ron's feet next to her own tiny ones.  
  
"Lucius doesn't care and Mum doesn't have much of a choice. Draco is going to look for some sort of protection spell. And I was supposed to ask if you guys would hit the library for me too, because we know how Hermione is. But she does have O.W.L.S. coming up and everything," Astrid said. She kicked at a clump of dirt.  
  
"O.W.L.S. be damned," Ron declared. "We'll research. I think we can handle failing O.W.L.S. better than we can handle losing a friend."  
  
"Did you ever think you'd say that about a Malfoy?" Astrid questioned.  
  
"I don't see the Malfoy anymore, chica," Ron said. "Only the Astrid." At that statement, tears began pouring down the girls face. Loud sobs wracked her body. Ron dropped his broom and turned to her, arms extended. She jumped into his arms and buried her face in his shoulder, much as she had outside the hospital wing after visiting Draco for the first time in February. He held her with one arm and ran the other hand over her hair.  
  
"I'm scared," she sobbed. Speechless, Ron sank to the ground. He rocked easily back and forth, rubbing the girls back.  
  
"I am too," he finally agreed. 


	43. Chapter 43

            "Where's Hannah?" Sawyer asked. He flopped down in the grass along the bank of the lake right between Astrid and Jason. Ron, Harry, Hermione, Fred, George, Katie and Alicia all sat on a blanket a few meters farther up the bank. Hermione and Fred were lying flat in their backs. Hermione's head rested on Fred's stomach. The pair had laughed uproariously every few minutes, blaming Fred's stomach for their amusement. George and Katie had taken another corner of the blanket. Katie lay on her left side, facing everyone else. George lay just behind her, head propped up on his left hand, right arm slung protectively over Katie's stomach. Alicia say on the other corner of the blanket and tossed tiny pieces of grass, stick, parchment, pocket fuzz and just about anything else she could get her hands on at Katie and George. Ron and Harry sat across from Alicia. Both looked rather depressed due to the absence of their girlfriends.

            "She's mad at me," Harry replied.

            "So she and Mandy aren't coming out today," Ron added.

            "Why is she mad at you?" Sawyer ventured to ask. He rolled over and laid on his stomach, chin propped on his fists, looking earnestly up at the teenagers.

            "Heather," Harry said. "Little Heather from Salem."

            "Somehow I don't think Heather would appreciate you calling her little," Astrid laughed. Harry shrugged and buried his face in his hands.

            "What did Heather do to Hannah?" Jason asked.

            "Jase, where were you all of last weekend?" Katie asked. Alicia halted the aerial assault on Katie's head to shoot Jason a completely unbelieving look.    

            "Sarah!" Sawyer coughed. "Sarah!" Jason quickly jerked an elbow into Sawyer's side.

            "Sarah?" George questioned.

            "The sixth year beater that Jase drooled over all weekend," Astrid provided. Jason turned red from his chin to the roots of his dark hair."

            "Sarah?" George said. "You mean the really hot one?" Katie instantly turned bright red.

            "Yeah," Jason replied, dreamy tone in his voice.

            "George!" Katie shrieked. 

            "Well, Katie dear, I'm allowed to check out the other teams beaters, especially if she's going to spend the better part of the match launching bludgers at your head." George dropped a kiss into his girlfriend's hair before he continued. "And most especially since you agree with Spinnett that Malfoy is the team eye-candy."

            "Whoa wait!" Astrid couldn't have sprung up any quicker had she been charmed. "Malfoy? As in my brother Malfoy?"

            "Unless there are Malfoy boys that go to Hogwarts that aren't your brothers," Katie laughed.

            "Are you kidding?" Draco and Keiran mark the first time there have been two Malfoys under the age of 210 alive at the same time in recorded history!" Astrid exclaimed.

            "Why?" Alicia asked. Astrid smiled.

            "Somewhere in the Malfoy family rules between 'thou shalt be filthy rich,' 'thou shalt be devilishly good looking,' and 'thou shalt be a Slytherin' lies 'thou shalt have one male child," Astrid explained.

            "I'm actually the first female Malfoy not by marriage.

            "How?" asked Harry.

            "Why?" questioned Hermione.

            "There are four of you," Katie said. No one bothered to correct her.

            "Usually the Malfoy men charm their wives to have one boy then stop with the children. Lucius, for some reason, decided he needed two children. After Draco was born, Grandfather Argentum died, so Lucius decided to abandon tradition and have his second child. I don't think Lucius ever liked grandfather much so having the second child was a way to rebel. He wasn't planning on the two for one special though," Astrid explained.

            "Two for one special," Fred laughed.

            "What about Emma?" Ron questioned.

            "My parents didn't think mum could conceive so quickly after me and Keiran, so they didn't bother with any charms or potions. Nine months later they were the parents to three children under the age of one year," Astrid laughed.

            "Even our parents aren't that crazy," Ron laughed.

            "Hey guys," Sawyer called. "Hearing the sordid details of Astrid's parents' private life is rather icktastic. I, for one, want to hear why Hannah is mad at Harry over Heather."

            "I second that motion!" Jason declared.

            "Motion passed," Alicia said. "Do tell your story Harry." Harry pulled his knees to his chest and turned to face his friends fully.

&&&&&

            "Hi! I'm Heather! I'm the manager for this team! Who are ya'll?" The little girl standing in between the Hogwarts team and the Salem team looked like a human incarnation of Pigwidgeon. She stood up very straight and bounced lightly on the balls of her feet. Her thumbs were hooked through the front belt loops of her wide-legged jeans. She wore a grey t-shirt that was pushed up to the waistband of her jeans by her hands. A hot pink and black flannel shirt hung open over the t-shirt, almost to the girl's knees. A curly brownish-red ponytail hung out of the back of a black baseball cap pulled low over the girls brownish green eyes. Ron leaned over to Harry and Hermione.

            "What's a ya'll?" he asked.

            "Southern American slang. Contraction of you and all," Hermione replied. Ron and Harry both nodded. 

            "Is someone going to answer my question here?" Heather demanded. The tallest girl of the Salem team stepped forward and placed a hand on each of Heather's shoulders.

            "You'll have to excuse Heather, she's more than a little excitable," the girl said.

            "I'll show you excitable, Sarah Hackney!" Heather squealed. She attempted to turn and face Sarah, but the older girl held onto Heather's shoulders and prevented her from turning. 

            "Guys, aren't we supposed to be making a good impression?" a tall black boy asked.

            "Oh, be quiet, Jericho!" Heather squeaked. She pointed at the Hogwarts team. "I think we're scaring them." Sarah let go of one of Heather's shoulders and held out her hand to Harry. Harry shook her hand lightly.

            "Sarah Hackney, beater and captain extraordinaire," she said as Harry shook her hand. "And this lot of hoodlums is my team."

            "Who you callin' a hoodlum, hoodlum?" Jericho said. He glared at Sarah. The Hogwarts team was effectively speechless, looking at the Salem team like they had lost their marbles.

            "That's our wonderful center chaser, Jericho," Sarah said. She pointed a smaller boy standing next to Jericho. "And that's Josh, our left chaser." Josh waved at the Hogwarts chaser.

            "Go ahead, laugh it up," Jericho said. The looks on the faces of the Hogwarts team changed from awed to perplexed. Jericho began swaying and clapping.

            "You know," he began singing. "Joshua fit the battle of Jericho, Jericho, Jericho-o-o." He paused and stopped swaying. "No? Figures. You never went to black church." Sarah shot a glare at Jericho before continuing her introductions.

            "The kid standing next to Josh is Jake and the fat kid is Tyler. Jake's the other chaser, Tyler's the keeper."

            "Why's it always gotta be about the fat kid?" Tyler asked. Jericho reached over Josh and patted Tyler on his head. 

            "Man, if this were a horror film, I'd still die first," Jericho said. Tyler glared at him. 

            "I'd live," Heather said. "Cause I'd run out the door 'stead of up the steps." Jericho grabbed the bill of Heather's hat and pulled it towards her chin. A girl about Heather's height stepped from behind Sarah and waved at the silent Hogwarts team.

            "I'm Lyra, the seeker," she said. Sarah looked around at all of her teammates before finally spotting the remaining girl in the group.

            "That's Taylor, the other beater," she said. 

            "Now can we get back to my original question of who are ya'll?" Heather asked, smiling broadly at the group.

            "I'm Harry," Harry finally managed to choke out. "Harry Potter.

            "You can call me Harry Potter," Jericho muttered. Josh jerked an elbow into Jericho's side. The Salem students who had heard Jericho's comment laughed softly.

            "Hey!" Heather shrieked. "They write books about you!" Sarah smacked the back of Heather's head.

             "Heather!" she hissed. Heather shrugged while Harry nodded and turned Red. Ron, Fred and George all laughed at the little girl.

            "Don't laugh," Jericho said. "It only encourages her."

            "You're one to talk," Josh muttered.

            "Focus here people!" Heather cried. "I only know one of their names so far!"

            "Fred Weasley," Fred volunteered, waving at the Americans.

            "George," George added.

            "Hey!" Heather cried. "You're twins!"

            "Well spotted, Holmes," Jericho said in a fake British accent. 

            "I have a friend named Linsey and the lady in McDonald's thought we were twins. We're not though. But she thought we were." Heather rattled. Sarah wrapped an arm around Heather's head, just above the bill of the girls baseball cap and pulled Heather's head to her chest. Then Sarah clamped her other hand over Heather's mouth.

            "Proceed," Sarah instructed. 

            "Ron Weasley," Ron said. Heather struggled to comment from behind Sarah's hand. Her words came out a string of muffled mumbles. 

            "Hermione Granger," Hermione said. Heather's frantic mumbling didn't stop.

            "Angelina Johnson," Angelina said. The only comment came in the form of an "eep" from Jericho. Sarah's glare silenced him.

            "I'm Katie Bell," Katie said, waving at the Salem team from her spot next to George.

            "And I'm Alicia," Alicia said. "We're pretty much the team." Astrid stepped forward.

            "I'm Astrid and these guys are Jason and Sawyer. We're pretty much the groupies," she said.

            "Pretty much?" Ron questioned.

            "We're missing your girl and Hannah and Dennis and Nate and the mandrake," Astrid explained.

            "Ya'll have a mandrake for a groupie?" Heather asked. Sarah had finally let go of her head.

            "Not really," Astrid said.

            "She's just as annoying but not quite as deadly," Sawyer added.

            "Her real name is Chelsea," Jason finally said. Heather just looked at the three first years and nodded slowly. Sarah smacked Heather on the back of her head, just under her ponytail.

            "Don't gawk," she hissed.

            "We don't bite," Sawyer said. Astrid fixed an evil grin on Heather.

            "Often," she said. Ron tapped the back of Astrid's head.

            "Be nice. Don't scare her," Ron instructed. Astrid smiled sweetly up at the fifth year.

            "I won't," she agreed. "I'll behave."

            "I think that's what scares me the most," Ron said.

            "So guys," Jericho interrupted. "I hate to do this to ya'll but can we blow this Popsicle stand? I've really gotta take a…"

            "JERICHO!" Sarah shouted.

            "A tinkle," Jericho amended his statement.  

*****

            "Someone help!" Heather shrieked. "He's almost got me!" Ron cackled evilly from the other side of the chessboard. Sarah and Harry jumped to their feet and ran to the younger girl's aid. The pair bent over the back of Heather's chair and surveyed the game before them. Hermione, Lyra and Josh were immersed in a discussion about an obscure aspect of transfiguration that no one else had heard of. Ginny sat at the end of the Ravenclaw table furiously scribbling to Braeden in her book. Oliver had joined the group in the great hall and he and Tyler were wrapped in a conversation about the finer points of keeping. The chasers, twins, Taylor and Jake were all involved in a raucous game of tag. Jericho had herded Astrid, Sawyer, Jason and Nate into a corner and was attempting to teach them to juggle.

            "I think if you do that, then that, THEN that, he should move there, there and there and then you've got him," Harry advised. Sarah nodded her agreement. Ron smirked at his best friend and the tall brown-haired beater.

            "She's only got me if she can understand those cryptic directions you just gave her and my money's on she's clueless," Ron laughed.

            "Silence, carrot top," Heather bit out. Sarah smacked the girl's shoulder.

            "Heather Leigh!" Sarah exclaimed. Heather held her hand over her shoulder. Her middle and ring fingers touched her thumb while her index finger and pinky extended straight in the air.

            "Quiet, captain," she muttered She tapped her fingers on her thumb with every syllable she spoke. Sarah swatted the rudimentary hand puppet away.

            "Easy on the ears, buster," Heather muttered before moving her puppet to her lap. Heather quickly directed her queen over a number of spaces. She looked up at Ron and smiled sweetly. 

            "Checkmate, sweetheart!" she laughed.

            'It's a checkmate," Ron's king agreed.

            "WOOHOO!" Heather shouted. She jumped onto her seat and turned to Harry and Sarah.

            "WE did it!" She shrieked. The tiny girl sprang off the bench. She wrapped one arm around Sarah's neck and the other around Harry's. Sarah and Harry weren't prepared to catch the first year so she pulled first Sarah then Harry to the floor on top of her. Amid picking themselves up and their gales of laughter, the trio never noticed that the door of the great hall opened and closed but no one else entered. 

&&&&&

            "So those are the only two times I can think of that I really talked to Heather!" Harry finished his story. "And so I really don't see why Hannah is so upset."

            "Harry man! I'm 12, unobservant, and the most insensitive prat on the face of the planet and even I can tell you that Hannah's madder about Sarah than she is about Heather!" Jason cried.

            "You're 11?" Ron objected.

            "Nope, did the birthday thing the Friday ya'll were in France," Jason explained.

            "Wow Jase, leave the word ya'll for Heather and Sarah and Jericho. Stick to prat and bloody hell, Sawyer instructed.

            "Okay then. Nope. Did the birthday thing the Friday prat and bloody hell were in France," Jason amended. Fred and George glanced at each other over Katie. 

            "You're bloody hell!" They chorused. When they realized they had spoken simultaneously, they added, "No, I'm prat!" The pair then resigned to rolling their eyes and shaking their heads.

            "You know Jason, you make a very valid point. I do believe Hannah is probably madder about Sarah than Heather," Harry said.

            "So does this mean you'll try to talk to her?" Hermione questioned.

            "GUYS!" A voice shrieked from behind the blanket.

            "Wow. Someone's been taking lessons from Mandrake Chelsea," Sawyer muttered.

            "Boy do I have news!" the youngest Weasley said as she vaulted herself over Hermione and onto the blanket.

            "So I got an owl from Luc as dictated to Allegra Lestat," Ginny began.

            "Why not Braeden?" Hermione questioned. Ginny's face fell.

            "Durmstrang used the same move on Braeden as they used on Malfoy and he's still not conscious," Ginny muttered.

            "Oh Gin!" Hermione said. She reached out and rested a hand on her friend's shoulder.

            "Okay, I've got news bigger than my unconscious boyfriend!" Ginny said. George and Fred shot incredulous looks at their baby sister.

            "When they took Braeden out of the game yesterday, Vieve had to go to keeper; they pulled Calliope to chaser and let Allegra seek. Needless to say, Durmstrang stomped them in the most extreme sort of way. In fact, the score was 430-70." Ginny smiled broadly, expecting the gathered group to understand the news contained in her cryptic messages.

            "Bloody hell!" Ron finally spoke up. "If Durmstrang beat Beauxbatons 430-70 and we beat Salem 270-40, that means we…" Ron trailed off.

            "Exactly," Ginny said with a smile.

            "The freaky twin thing is our job here!" Fred said. "Care to fill us in?"

            "We're tied with Durmstrang for the championship!" Ron screeched.

            "So you get to play the great brutes again this Saturday!" Ginny added. Fred and George exchanged an excited look over Katie.

            "The Annexation of Puerto Rico!" Fred cried. George nodded furiously.

            "Do we finally get to run that play?" Alicia questioned.

            "We'll teach it at practice tomorrow," Fred promised.

            "Who is voting we convince Oliver to play Sanguinis as keeper first so we can have him unconscious in the hospital for a week?" Ron asked. Everyone present raised a hand. 

            "Why not Malfoy?" Fred questioned.

            "Malfoy is a damn good keeper and he's also our reserve seeker. Sanguinis is just a keeper and a keeper who lets everything by him at that," Ron explained. Fred and George both nodded. 

            "Wait!" Alicia cried. "I think Ron's onto something with letting Sanguinis start!"

            "What is it Leesh?" Fred questioned. Alicia shook her head and jumped to her feet.

            "Let me work out the logistics first," Alicia called as she hurried towards the castle.

            "And that's our little Alicia," Fred laughed. "Her middle name should be logistics."

            "It's Christine," Katie replied. "Alicia Christine Spinnett."

            "What's yours?" Fred asked.

            "Elizabeth," Katie replied.

            'Katherine Elizabeth Bell?" Fred guessed.

            "Katie," Katie replied. "Katie Elizabeth Bell. My parents didn't understand why they should name me Katherine if they were just going to call me Katie anyway."

            "Smart," George said. "I'm the only Weasley child that doesn't go by a shortened version of their first name."

            "Thank Merlin," Ron and Ginny chorused.

            'So wait," Hermione said. She began pointing at each person as she said his or her middle name. "Lenore, James, Alroy, Bayard, Clancy, Eirene, Elizabeth, Astrid." She stopped at Sawyer and Jason.

            "Dare," Sawyer offered. Jason turned bright red.

            "Jason's is Apollo," Astrid chirped.

            "Even Apollo and Dare are normal compared to the girls name my mum has picked out!" Hermione complained.

            "Still no baby?" Astrid asked.

            "Still no baby," Hermione replied. "Still hoping for a brother though."

            "Or your mum to come to her senses," Fred said. Hermione shrugged.

            "It all fits the patterns. Shakespearian first name, middle name from Poe. You understand about patterns don't you?"

            "Oh sure," Ron replied. "I don't think my middle name would be Alroy otherwise."

            "What about Juliet or Caterina or Bianca or Ariel?" Sawyer asked.

            "Too normal," Hermione said. "How do you know Shakespeare anyway?"

            "Hello! My name's Sawyer. As in Tom Sawyer. As in the book by Mark Twain. As in both my parents are English professors," Sawyer explained. "My little sister's name is Becky after Becky Thatcher in the same book."

            "My family has something of a pattern too. Of all things. Greek Mythology and other aspects of ancient Greece. Thank Merlin dad talked mum out of naming me Oedipus."

            "Oedipus Black!" Sawyer howled. Jason shrugged.

            'Oedipus and Antigone are mum's favorite tragedies. Luckily Medea is her second favorite."

            "Oedipus!" Sawyer howled again.

            'This coming from the boy who could have just as easily been named Huckleberry," Astrid quipped. This effectively silenced Sawyer. 

            "What do you say we blow this Popsicle stand and head on up to dinner?" Ron questioned. Fred gently moved Hermione's head off his stomach and jumped to his feet.

            "We should go owl Oliver about the Annexation," he said, looking pointedly at George. George climbed to his feet and pulled Katie to hers.

            "Let's," he agreed. The trio of seventh years started towards the school.

            "Do you think Nate's come out of the library yet?" Astrid asked. Sawyer shrugged. 

            "We should go make sure he's out in time for food," Jason suggested. His friends nodded and the little trio rushed towards the castle.

            "I should go check on Braeden," Ginny muttered. She followed the first years, not even bothering to say goodbye to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. 

            "Great, stick us with the cleanup," Ron said, looking down at the blanket. Hermione pulled her wand and did several quick spells. She then picked up the blanket. It was small enough to fit in Ron's pocket and virtually weightless. 

            "So you guys think Hannah is more mad about Sarah than Heather?" Harry asked, nervous tremor in his voice. Hermione nodded.

            "Yeah, I don't know why I didn't see it before, but between O.W.L.S. and my extra research, worrying about your love lives has been lower on the priorities list. Sorry guys," Hermione joked. Harry shrugged.

            "How has your extra research been going?" Ron questioned. 

            "It hasn't," Hermione replied. "The library has books."

            "Astute observation," Harry muttered. Hermione shot him a glare before continuing.

            "Books that I think would be useful. At least set me in the right direction, you know? But they've all been checked out."

            "What do you think that means?" Harry asked.

            "Someone else who really understands how to use a library is researching the exact same topic, which is only slightly possible. Astrid said she hasn't set anyone else to researching, which means that Little Malfoy is researching, Malfoy is or has set someone to researching, or someone is pulling the books ahead of me," Hermione explained.

            "Pulling the books?" Harry questioned.

            "Malfoy?" Ron asked.

            "Ah, yes." Hermione sounded very much like Professor McGonagall. "You both bring up very valid points." The boys exchanged a look over Hermione's head.

            "Supposing neither of Astrid' brothers is or is responsible for the other researcher, that means someone else knows about the ceremony that wasn't told by one of the three Malfoy children. Someone in Hogwarts, that is. Now the most logical explanation seems to be that the person who made Malfoy play potions master is the same person who is taking the books, barring the idea that his little brother was behind the potions bit."

            "How do you know Keiran isn't behind all of it?" Ron questioned. Hermione shrugged.

            "I don't. However."

            "There's always a however," Harry muttered. Hermione glared at Harry again before continuing with her theory. 

            "Well, Keiran is You-Know-Who's heir. While he is a valuable asset, it makes more sense to keep him way out of trouble. He's the most logical suspect, therefore, they probably have another inside line."

            "Wow Hermione, English please," Ron requested.

            "I think I get it," Harry said. "It's sorta like because Keiran is so logical, they're using someone else to keep Keiran relatively innocent but keep suspicions on him and off the real person at the same time." Ron nodded and ran his fingers through his hair.

            "I think I get it. So who is the other guy?" Ron questioned.

            "Good question," Hermione answered.

            "Do we even have a list of suspects?" Harry asked.

            "Sound like an old cop movie much there Harry?" Hermione quipped. "But I don't know any of the Slytherins well enough to compile suspects."

            "Great. We need a Slytherin insider who will sell us house secrets! We'll get that about as easily as You-Know-Who got the Philosopher's stone."

            "Do we even really know any Slytherins?" Hermione asked. All the friends stopped talking to consider their options. They continued walking towards the castle. Harry finally spoke up.

            "None," he said. "We don't know one Slytherin in the sense that they'd tell us jack shit about anything."

            "We need someone neutral," Ron said. "Someone who can get Slytherin secrets, give them to us, and keep their mouths shut."

            "Wow Ron, what kind of fantasy world are you living in?" Harry questioned. Ron shrugged.

            "It'd be nice," Ron said. "But I know it won't happen."

            "So we haven't even left go yet," Hermione muttered. "We need a suspect, we need books, we need our friend, we need a to win a Quidditch championship and we need to pass O.W.L.S.!" Harry and Ron exchanged a high five over Hermione's head.

            "What was that about?" she questioned.

            "We never thought we'd see the day when you'd prioritize Quidditch above O.W.L.S." Harry explained. Hermione glared at both boys before pulling open the door to the castle and stepping into the entrance hall. Harry, then Ron followed her. The trio stopped just next to the entrance of the great hall.

            "Are we going in or shall we wait for Ginny?" Harry questioned. A group of seventh year Hufflepuffs walked past. Harry felt a familiar throbbing start just behind his eyelids. Before he could warn Ron or Hermione of what was about to happen, a searing pain ripped across his scar. He felt as though someone had aimed a super concentrated Cruciatus curse at just his forehead and wouldn't let up. The boy fell to the floor at his friends' feet with a scream that rattled the doors. 

            "HARRY!" Hermione shrieked. Ron looked around quickly to see exactly who was witnessing the spectacle. Hermione dropped to her knees next to Harry. The boy kept his hands clamped to his scar and writhed in the floor, wrought with an agony that wouldn't stop.

            "Ron, we've got to get him to the hospital wing!" Hermione hissed. Ron looked down at his friends and nodded. He bent over and scooped up Harry, placing one arm around the boy's back and the other under his knees. Harry's head fell hard against Ron's shoulder. The tall redhead turned to the steps and struggled to run up them. Hermione, not thinking of lightning or levitating spells, followed her friend. Harry released another shriek fully meant to wake the dead and shook so violently that Ron nearly dropped him. Ron quickly turned at the top of the stairs and headed directly for the hospital wing with Hermione close on his heels.    

            "What do you think is happening?" he asked as Harry fell limp in his arms. Hermione shrugged and shook her head.

            "Who knows? You-Know-Who is probably up to something," she replied in a whisper. Ron looked down at his friend and started up another flight of stairs. 

            "Whatever it was, is over now because he's gone still," he said. One of Harry's hands fell away from his head. Hermione quickly grabbed his limp wrist and felt for a pulse. She felt it faintly fluttering beneath her fingertips.

            "He's got a pulse, Madame Pomfrey should be able to mend him right up," Hermione muttered. "Then he can tell us what it was." She released Harry's wrist and pulled open the door to the hospital wing. She held it, allowing Ron to pass through with their unconscious friend. 

            "Madame Pomfrey!" Hermione called.

            "Hermione, dear, I thought we weren't scheduled for another lesson until tomorrow night," Madame Pomfrey shouted from the potions storeroom.

            "It's not a lesson," Hermione replied. "It's Harry." Madame Pomfrey rushed from the potions storeroom to where the trio stood just inside the door. 

            "What happened?" she asked, instantly reaching for Harry's wrist to find a pulse.

            "We were standing in the Entrance Hall and he grabbed his forehead, screamed a couple of times, and collapsed," Ron explained. His simple version of the events summed everything up perfectly.

            "Did he say anything or did he just scream?" Madame Pomfrey asked.

            "Just screamed," Hermione replied. Madame Pomfrey pointed to a bed on the left side of the wing against the opposite wall.

            "If you'll just put him there, I'll check him out and see if I can't get him to wake up," the matron said. Ron carried his friend to the last bed on the left and deposited him on the mattress.

            "Miss Granger, if you would like to stay and observe the exam, you may. Mr. Weasley, if you will please go find Professor Dumbledore and notify him of what has happened," Madame Pomfrey instructed. Hermione nodded and headed over towards Harry. Ron turned towards the door to find Professor Dumbledore.

            "And Mr. Weasley? The next time this happens, please use a levitating spell. You're going to hurt yourself carrying him around like that," Madame Pomfrey scolded. Ron nodded and stared at his shoes. 

            "Now go," the matron said. Ron hurried out of the door. Madame Pomfrey turned back to Hermione and the still unconscious Harry.

            "Now then," she said, stepping towards the boy.

%%%%%

            Once outside the hospital wing, Ron ran down the corridor and took the stairs two at a time. On the second floor, he hurried towards the library, and took the hallway towards the Ravenclaw common room rather than going to the library itself. At the end of that corridor, he turned right and took and almost immediate left onto another corridor. He slowed his pace from a sprint to a slow jog and kept down the corridor, hoping Dumbledore was in his office. Three corridors later, he stood next to the gargoyle, very out of breath and unable to recall the password. 

            "Ice Mice," he muttered.

            "Fizzing Whizbees."

            "Everlasting Gobstoppers." He paused and stared at the gargoyle. It didn't move.

            "He's not in there," came a silky voice from just behind Ron. Ron spun quickly to look at its owner. He didn't see anyone.

            "He's already heading towards the hospital wing. I think someone else told him what happened," the voice said.

            "Pardon me if I sound stupid, but exactly who and where are you?" Ron asked. A throaty laugh erupted from the shadows moments before the most exotic looking girl Ron had ever seen stepped from between a painting and a suit of armor. She had waist length chocolate brown hair that hung loose around her face. She wore thick navy skirts and a light brown sweater, despite the warm weather. Several hammered gold bangles covered her wrists. She had chocolate brown eyes flecked by odd spots of gold. She smiled at Ron. He couldn't decide if the smile was sinister or friendly, but he leaned towards sinister. 

            "Okay, we've established where, now what about who?" Ron questioned. "I don't think I've seen you around here before."

            "Oh, I'm only seen when I want to be," the girl replied airily. "You can call me Contessa." She took a few steps towards the astounded redhead. Her skirts twirled around her feet in such a way that Ron actually questioned the existence of her feet. She looked as if she was floating.

            "So I don't mean to sound rude, but what do you want?" he questioned. She laughed again, a deep throaty sound. 

            "It's not a question of what I want," she replied. Her voice was more of a purr than a normal voice. "It's a question of what you need."

            "What's that supposed to mean?" Ron questioned. Contessa quirked an eyebrow at the boy.

            "Oh, I think you know," she replied.

            "Well, I need my best friend to wake up. Unless you can help me with that, then I can't think of anything else," Ron said quickly. He ran his fingers through his hair, making it stand up wildly on end. 

            "We both know that's not what I'm talking about," Contessa whispered. She took the remaining steps to Ron and began circling him predatorily. 

            "Well then what are you talking about?" Ron asked. His face began to take on the familiar flush of anger. 

            "You need the name of the person who made Draco Malfoy attempt to kill himself and is emptying the library of all of the books your precious Hermione thinks she needs to help your favorite first year," Contessa hissed.

            "I don't have a favorite first year," came the feeble reply from Ron.

            "And my name isn't Contessa," Contessa laughed.

            "For all I know, it isn't," Ron said.

            "It is," Contessa replied.

            "But how do I know I can trust you?" Ron questioned.

            "You can't," came Contessa's simple reply. "But trust and bought silence are two completely different things." 

            "Bought silence?" Ron tried the words on for size.

            "You heard me," Contessa purred. "You pay, I talk, and then I forget this conversation ever happened."

            "What's your price and for what information?" Ron questioned.

            "I'll tell you the house, the year, and a few other choice bits of information about the person behind all of this for a lock of your hair," Contessa replied.

            "A lock of my hair?" Ron asked. "That's all?" Contessa nodded. She reached out and curled a few strands just above Ron's right ear around her finger. He tensed at her touch.

            "That's all?" he echoed.

            "Yes," Contessa replied. "That's all."

            "Okay then, let's have it," Ron said. Contessa smiled.

            "The person behind the madness inside of Hogwarts is a seventh year, isn't a Slytherin, plays Quidditch and has been in a relationship with the same person since last July," Contessa said. Ron blinked twice at the girl. Before he could do anything, she had produced a pair of scissors from her pocket and removed from him the curl above his ear. 

            "That's it?" he asked. Contessa nodded.

            "Shouldn't be too hard to figure out. There are only nine seventh year Quidditch players in the entire school who aren't Slytherin and you're on one team or the other with more than half of them. I wouldn't count out your teammates though. Of course, Malfoy's had the same information for weeks and he hasn't figured it out yet. But he's not the sharpest knife in the potions lab now is he?" she said. Before Ron could get another word in, Contessa stepped towards a tapestry and virtually disappeared. Ron blinked twice at the place near the wall where she had been and reached up to tentatively touch the spot where he had had a curl. Ron finally shook his head and turned to go find Dumbledore as he had originally intended.

*****

            "Alright men, I'm sure all of you have by now heard of the unexpected match we have to play this weekend," Oliver said. The school Quidditch team, minus Harry, sat around at his feet on the field. They were at their Monday night practice, while Harry was still unconscious in the hospital wing. 

            "Men?" Katie snorted. 

            "Team," Oliver corrected himself.

            "Thank you," Katie said sweetly. Oliver glared at the girl before continuing in her tirade. 

            "We have to play Durmstrang at 12 noon on Saturday. We've played them once and lost horribly, but I think we've improved immensely and with a few more minor adjustments, I think we may stand a chance."

            "Of keeping our heads attached to our necks," Draco muttered. 

            "That is exactly the kind of attitude we don't need, Malfoy," Oliver snapped. Draco shrugged. Oliver glared at the boy. 

            "So what do you propose we do?" Angelina asked, trying to avoid a confrontation between the coach and the starting keeper. 

            "We'll, we've got to practice harder than we've practiced before, but I think we have a few tricks up our sleeve this time that they won't be expecting."

            "What about Harry?" Ron questioned. 

            "Cause Merlin knows the Weasel can't function properly without his Potty," Malfoy muttered. Either Ron didn't hear him or chose to ignore him, most likely the former. 

            "Malfoy is our starting seeker for the Durmstrang match," Oliver replied. "William, you're starting at goal, Angelina, you're benched, and Fred, you're chasing. Ron, you're playing beater in place of Fred."

            "BENCHED!" Angelina screeched. "Oliver! You CAN'T bench me!"

            "Angelina! I'd rather have you not play than see you get hurt. Those goons will be gunning for you. I'd rather not end your Quidditch career before it has a chance to ever really start," Oliver explained.

            "Oliver. There will be scouts at this match! If I miss out on a chance to go pro because you've got me sitting on the bloody bench, not only will I never forgive you, but I'll probably be forced to resort to bodily harm!" Angelina shouted.

            "Okay. Now that I've been suitably threatened, can you calm down so I can explain myself?" Oliver asked. Angelina nodded and took two or three deep breaths to calm herself. Oliver turned to Draco. "Malfoy. Can you teach them all how to play like Slytherins?" 

%%%%%

            "No, Bell! Use your elbow! Aim for his lower back there. HIT HIM LIKE YOU MEAN IT!" Draco cried. Katie jumped at the fierceness in the younger boy's voice and quickly slammed her left elbow right into George's back, just over his kidney. He howled in pain and crumpled onto his broom for support.

            "Perfect!" Draco insisted. Katie smiled broadly over at her boyfriend. 

%%%%%

            "Okay Spinnett, say two bludgers are flying at you but not quite, and a delay in the game would be a good thing, what do you do?" Draco asked. Alicia shrugged.  Draco shook his head at her.

            "Take the hit. Act dead. Get the penalty shot," Draco explained. "Well, maybe don't act dead, but hold your arm and howl like it got ripped off." 

%%%%%

            "What is this?" Draco asked. He held a beaters bat out in front of him. The three Weasley brothers stood on the other side of the bat with three different levels of annoyance on their faces.

            "It's a bat," Fred replied.

            "What's it for?" Draco questioned.

            "To hit bludgers," George said in a dull monotone.

            "And?" Draco prompted. He received three blank looks.

            "And occasionally other people, you great dolts! If the ref isn't looking, feel free to miss the bludger and smack the player behind it. A bat to the head is guaranteed disorientation. A bludger may not hit the intended target. Don't take chances. Durmstrang didn't the first time we played them did they?"  All three Weasleys shrugged at their enemy. Draco shook his head and started off to give Angelina quick lesson on how to play like a Slytherin. 

%%%%%

            "Listen up team, it's time to learn a new play," Oliver said. After their Slytherin lessons, the entire team had gathered in the center of the field for another quick meeting with their coach,

            "The Annexation?" Katie asked. Oliver, Fred, and George shared almost identical grins. All three nodded slowly. Oliver held up a piece of poster board.

            "This, my friends, is a bit of genius by the Weasley twins. It is called The Annexation of Puerto Rico. I'm not questioning the name and you shouldn't either. It is the play that just might win us the game, and it hinges completely and totally on the goalie and the seeker."

            "Am I missing something?" a familiar voice asked from behind the team.

            "HARRY!" Ron screeched.

            "You're awake!" Katie cried.

            "Yep," Harry replied. "And Madame Pomfrey has given me a clean bill of health and clearance to play on Saturday."

            "So does this mean I'm not benched?" Angelina questioned. Oliver shook his head at the girl.

            "No, we're going with the plan as it stands. The only difference is that Harry is now benched with you," Oliver explained.

            "BENCHED?" Harry questioned rather louder than necessary. 

            "Yes benched, but only momentarily. There is a method to the madness and it should help us at least not get beaten as badly as last time," Oliver said. He then proceeded to explain the starting lineup to Harry and to teach the new play to the team.

*****

            "Do you think this will work?" Fred asked. He looked at George over a piece of parchment folded neatly and ready to be tied to an owl's leg. George nodded.

            "It's the only way. Its for his own good, and it'll help all of us," George reasoned. He placed the parchment on the window seal in the owlery and wrote "Mandy Brocklehurst" across the front in a fine script he reserved for doing anything that would cause trouble.

            "I hope you and Oliver are right about this," Fred said. George smiled evilly at his brother.

            "We are, Gred, we are," he said. "Now we need to go get some breakfast before the match."

            "What if he figures it out and comes after us? After all, he's bigger now, and meaner, and he's been stronger for a long time," Fred worried. George tied the letter to an owls leg and pushed the owl towards the window. The sleepy bird took flight and headed straight towards the Great Hall. George watched it enter with the rest of the morning owls and then turned to his brother.

            "We've always been smarter," he reminded his twin. "And smarter is everything in this game." The pair exchanged a quick high five and then turned to go down to breakfast. 

*****

            "Harry, if you don't hurry up man, we're going to be late for the match!" Ron shouted.

            "Ron, we've got an hour before the match!" Harry cried. Ron paced around the couch, waiting for his friend to come down from their dorm room. 

            "Ron, haven't we established that pacing gets you no where?" Astrid asked from her spot on the couch.

            "Shove it, Malfoy," Ron instructed, and he began another circuit around the couch. 

            "Are you nervous because you have to play beater today with George rather than Ginny?" Astrid questioned. The team had let her know most of what was going to happen at the match.

            "Part of it," Ron said. A large owl swooped through an open window near the top of the common room. It headed straight towards Ron, landing neatly on the back of the couch. Ron quickly untied the letter from his leg and the owl flew off. He opened the letter and scanned its contents.

Dear Ron,

            I just thought that you'd like to know that I snogged Stan Adamczyk last night. He's much cuter than you and a better kisser too. His nose doesn't get in the way. Needless to say, I don't want to be your girlfriend anymore.

                                                                                    Mandy

            "Harsh," Astrid muttered from just behind Ron. She had stood up on the couch to read the letter over his shoulder. Ron sank onto the couch at her feet. 

            "What am I going to do?" he questioned.

            "You're playing beater today aren't you?" Astrid asked. Ron nodded.

            "Use your bat to rearrange Adamczyk's face so his nose will get in the way next time he tries to steal someone's girl," the little girl offered. Ron smiled weakly up at Astrid, red flush already overtaking his face.

            "You're a genius," he muttered.

*****

            "Are you guys ready?" Oliver asked. He stood before his team in the locker room just before the match was scheduled to start. The nine gathered players all nodded.

            "We've worked hard the past week," Oliver said.

            "Understatement of the century," Angelina muttered under her breath.

            "You're just bitter because you got benched," Sanguinis mumbled.

            "What was that, Guiny?" Angelina asked. "Because I'll be thoroughly happy to rearrange your face for you!" She jumped to her feet and stared down at the seventh year Hufflepuff. Katie and Alicia each grabbed a side of Angelina's robes and pulled her back to her seat on the bench between them. 

            "Ron, are you ready?" George asked. Ron looked sufficiently prepared to rip the face off anyone who got between him and Adamcyzk. 

            "Mandy dumped him," Harry mouthed from just behind his still-furious best friend. Fred and George smirked at each other over the chasers' heads.

            "Do all of you all remember the plays?" Oliver questioned. He received nine nods. 

            "Just remember, these guys are out for blood. Watch your backs and stay as safe as you can. I don't want anyone getting hurt until its time. Now get your hands in here. Team on three." He counted off as everyone gathered around and placed their hands in the center of the pile.

            "TEAM!" they chorused.

            "For Durmstrang!" Lee's voice rang out across the pitch. The Hogwarts team made their way to the entrance to their locker room. "At Seeker, Zankowitz, at chaser, Adamczyk, Medvidinko, and Svobdova! At Beater, McCarthy and Krum, and at Keeper, Rybzynski!" The seven players erupted from their locker room amid a chorus of booing from the Hogwarts crowd.

            "And for Hogwarts!" Lee shouted. The cheers began to overtake his voice before he could even get out the name of the school. "I give you our three beautiful chasers! Alicia Spinnett! Katie Bell! And! Okay wait. I give you our two beautiful chasers and Fred Weasley!" The two girls and Fred rose onto the field and took a slow circuit waiting for Lee to finish announcing. "Our beaters! Half of the twins Weasley. Being the George half of course. And their younger brother Ron Weasley!" The cheers still held, though many members of the crowd looked slightly confused at the lineup Oliver had chosen. "Our seeker. Draco Malfoy! Oliver, can I take this moment to ask exactly what you're thinking?"

            "Announce, Jordan," McGonagall warned from just behind Lee.

            "Okay, so we've got Spinnett, Bell, Malfoy, three Weasleys and our keeper who couldn't catch a cold, WILLIAM SANGUINIS!!!" Sanguinis glared at the boy before joining his teammates in circling the field. 

            "The referee for today's game will be Mr. Thomas Watson! Captains meet at center pitch!" Lee said. Two Durmstrang students, Harry and Angelina went to the center of the pitch to meet with the young referee.   
            "I want a good clean game," he instructed. "Got that?" All four nodded. 

            "On the sound of my whistle!" he kicked open the crate and the bludgers flew into the air. The snitch circled first Zankowitz's then Malfoy's head before disappearing into the air. Harry and Angelina headed off the pitch to join Oliver, Hermione, and Ginny on the bench. Thomas blew his whistle and fifteen brooms shot into the air. Adamcyzk grabbed the quaffle and, much like last time, the entire Durmstrang team rocketed towards the Hogwarts goals. Unlike last time, Sanguinis stayed completely out of their way and let them toss the ball through the goal.

            "SANGUINIS! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!" Lee shouted. "THE POINT IS TO KEEP THEM FROM SCORING! NOT TO LET THEM SCORE!!"

            "Mr. Jordan, I ask you to calm down," McGonagall said. Lee shrugged and directed his attention to where William had tossed the ball to Alicia. The girl raced down the field towards the open Durmstrang goals. Even their keeper had joined in the attack on the Hogwarts goals. Krum sent a bludger at the girl, but George slid in between the girl and the ball just in time to crack it back at Krum. He wasn't expecting the attack, so the iron ball made heavy contact with his left elbow.  George thought he heard the boy's arm break, but Krum showed no signs of pain or even discomfort. Alicia passed the ball off to Katie, who ducked under the speeding Rybzynski and slung the ball towards the right goal.

            "GOAL! HOGWARTS! The score is 10-10!" Lee cried over the crowd's cheers. Rybzynski retrieved the quaffle and tossed it out to Svobdova. The chaser immediately threw the ball to Adamczyk before racing down the field towards the goal. Adamcyzk curled the ball backwards over his head in both hands and propelled it forward with all of the force he could muster. It flew from his grasp and more than halfway down the field into Svobdova's waiting hands. Svobdova easily tossed the ball to Medvidinko, who tossed it right back to Svobdova. Svobdova slipped the ball through the right goal before Sanguinis really registered who was holding the quaffle. 

            "Goal, Durmstrang. 20-10!" Lee muttered. 

*****

            "Goal! Durmstrang. 30-10!"

*****

            "And that's another one for Durmstrang, bringing the score to 60-10! It's Adamczyk's fifth goal of the game," Lee said. Ron intercepted a bludger meant for Katie just as Adamczyk flew past him celebrating the victory of his goal. 

            "Immediate disorientation." Malfoy's words whispered through Ron's head. Ron swung at the bludger with all of his might. He let the bat fly right above the ball and into the side of Adamczyk's head.

            "That should teach you to mess with my girl," Ron muttered as Adamczyk slipped sideways and finally crashed off his broom. The ref's whistle rang out shrilly before the chaser could even hit the pitch.          

            "Foul! Hogwarts! You there that just knocked the boy off the broom! You're out of the game! Penalty shots to Durmstrang!" Watson shouted. Ron nodded and turned his broom to the pitch.

            "TIME OUT!" Oliver screeched.

            "It looks as though Adamcyzk is down for the count and Ron's being thrown out of the game. Durmstrang gets a penalty shot and Wood has called a time out." Oliver hurried onto the field. The Hogwarts team all landed around their coach.

            "Ron, what was that?" Oliver asked. Ron shrugged. 

            "My girlfriend dumped me for that great prat and I thought I'd teach him a lesson," Ron explained.

            "Lucky for you he, is walking off the field. Lucky for us, he's not going to be able to get back on his broom, so brilliant move there man," Oliver said, patting the tall redhead on his shoulder.

            "Wanna know a secret?" George asked.

            "What?" Ron questioned.

            "We wrote a letter to Mandy telling her to dump you for that reason so you'd remove him from the game. You're predictable, little brother, and he's their leading scorer," Fred said. 

            "You're not really dumped," George added. "And it's our fault so be sure to take Mandy back." Ron glared at his brothers.

            "Ron, we need them for the game. You can kick their arses afterwards, though I must say that was a brilliant piece of trickery on their parts," Oliver said. "Now, Sanguinis, back to the bench, we need someone who can actually keep in there. Draco, go to goals, Harry, you're seeker. The five of you know what to do to make everything right, and get ready to run the Annexation." The chasers and beaters all nodded. Oliver smiled at his team.

            "If the Annexation works like it's supposed to, we might just have a chance at this thing!"  The ref's whistle rang out again, signaling time in. The Hogwarts team all kicked back into the air. Harry flew to a spot high above the action, but considerably closer than he usually flew. Draco took his place in front of the goals, and the Weasley twins began and particularly spectacular bit of club twirling and passing that would make all but the best jugglers cringe and wonder how they were doing it. Angelina did a few stretches and tried to ignore glares from the other team. Medvidinko flew up to take the penalty shot for Durmstrang. He flew straight at Draco and pitched the ball directly at the center goal as hard as he could. Draco didn't duck out of the way as Medvidinko had planned, but instead caught the ball and cradled it tightly against his stomach. He pitched the quaffle out to Angelina who promptly flew the ball straight to the Durmstrang scoring area. She pitched it through the left goal, raising the score to 60-20. 

*****

            "And another beautiful goal by Angelina Johnson! Her 17th of the match!" Lee cried. "The score is now 250-60! Hogwarts! One more goal and even the snitch won't save the Durmstrang team!"

            "NOW!" Ginny, Hermione, Oliver, Ron, and William all shouted from the bench. The Hogwarts team, Harry included, all rocketed towards their goals. Rybzynski tossed the ball out to Medvidinko, who shot down the field. He found no resistance, and so flew directly into the Hogwarts scoring area. He tossed the ball at the right goal. Draco twisted nearly off his broom and caught the quaffle, cradling it to his chest as he regained his balance. He then joined the rest of his team behind the goals. 

            "Ready?" he questioned. Fred shoved a balled up Gryffindor Quidditch robe into his hands. Malfoy handed the quaffle off to Harry. Harry placed it on his broom and bent down over it before rocketing back up to his usual spot above the action. 

            "Ready," Fred replied. He clutched his own Quidditch robe to his chest. He looked to George, Angelina, and Alicia, who also held their Quidditch robes. 

            "Lets do this," Malfoy replied. The five seventh years scattered, each one hugging their Quidditch robes as though they had the quaffle. Katie also bent over her broom in an attempt to appear as though she had the quaffle, but she didn't stray too far from the scoring area. The Durmstrang team watched the Hogwarts team, trying to figure out who held the real quaffle. Krum and Svobdova went for Angelina while Medvidinko and McCarthy simply watched the twins. Draco pitched the robe out to Katie and she caught it, hugged it to her chest, and took off towards the Durmstrang goals. Krum thought she had the ball, so he cracked a bludger at her. She ducked it easily, but not before he yelled.

            "NO MERCY!"

            "Who says this is really the ball?" Katie replied. Krum shot off after her, trailed closely by Svobdova and McCarthy. Medvidinko circled around to head her off. When Katie noticed Medvidinko, she kept flying directly for him. Just before they should have collided, she pulled her broom straight up, causing Medvidinko to smash into Krum. McCarthy and Svobdova kept up the chase. Katie quickly flew a circle around the two boys. Zankowitz lowered his broom to aide his teammates in finding the quaffle. Harry slowly made his way over to just above the Durmstrang scoring area. Katie reversed her direction and passed Alicia closely. Alicia acted as though she received something from Katie. The Durmstrang team took their chase from Katie to Alicia. Alicia flew directly at the twins.  The twins moved so there was barely enough room for Alicia to fly between them. She did, but the Durmstrang team had to veer off course or risk crashing into the twins. Satisfied that the Durmstrang team was sufficiently confused, Draco quietly left the goals and headed down to the other end of the pitch. He paused just outside the scoring area and looked up at Harry. Rybzynski was watching his team flying after the three Hogwarts chasers and two beaters, trying to figure out who had the real quaffle. Draco held his hands directly out in front of him. Harry dropped the quaffle down into Draco's waiting hands and Draco pitched it easily through the left goal. 

            "GOAL!" HOGWARTS!" Lee screeched. "GOAL BY KEEPER DRACO MALFOY WITH AN ASSIST BY SEEKER HARRY POTTER!!" The crowd went wild. The five Hogwarts seventh years dropped their robes. They fluttered to the pitch like great red birds. Zankowitz flew back to where Harry was, to continue the search for the snitch. The Durmstrang seeker couldn't help but level a glare on Harry meant to kill. When he did, Harry noticed something gold fluttering just next to Zankowitz's right ear." 

            "Slytherin," came Draco's voice. Harry hoped the Durmstranger would catch his meaning.

            "LOOK!" He shouted, pointing down and to Zankowitz's left. Zankowitz's head snapped in the direction Harry pointed. Harry reached out and easily grabbed the snitch away from Zankowitz's turned head. Before Zankowitz realized what happened, Harry pointed his broom to the pitch and rocketed downwards.

            "HARRY POTTER HAS THE SNITCH!" Lee shouted. "HOGWARTS WINS! HOGWARTS WINS THE LEAGUE!" The crowd's cheers were almost deafening. Harry lowered himself to the ground amid masses of hugs from his Gryffindor teammates. 

            "You did it man, you were bloody brilliant!" George crowed. 

            "AWESOME!" Fred shouted. 

            "WE DID IT!" Angelina cried. Tears rolled down her face. Katie and Alicia almost jumped off their brooms to envelop her in a hug. 

            "Wow!" Ron shouted. "This is perfectly worth all of the bullshit!" 

            "RON!" Mandy screeched. "I'M SO SORRY THE TWINS PUT ME UP TO EVERYTHING YOU'RE NOT REALLY DUMPED IF YOU'LL TAKE ME BACK YOU PLAYED AWESOMELY AND YOU'RE THE MOST FANTASTIC BOYFRIEND EVER!"

            "You've gotta take her back after she yelled all of that in one breath," George told his little brother.

            "I can fully imagine where that talent could come in handy," Fred mused. Ron turned a shade of red never before reached by man.

            "HARRY!" Hermione and Ginny chorused. The pair dived on the seeker and he struggled to remain standing under their combined weights.

            "YOU DID IT!" Ginny cried. Harry nodded. Only then did he notice a lone figure standing at the edge of the crowd, observing the festivities. He gently moved Ginny and Hermione away from him.

            "No," he corrected. "We did it." He slowly pushed his way through the crowd to where the figure stood.

            "Good game, Malfoy," he said. "We couldn't have done it with out you." He held out his hand. Malfoy quickly accepted the handshake and offered Harry a smirk. For a moment, the pair weren't enemies, just teammates.

%%%%%

            "Angelina Johnson!" An unfamiliar voice called. Angelina turned to see Thomas Watson, game referee starting towards her.

            "I am Thomas Watson," he began. Angelina nodded.

            "Yeah, you've officiated a couple of games before," she said.

            "But I've never properly introduced myself." He held out his hand to the girl. "I am Thomas Watson, head recruiter for the Holyhead Harpies, and I'd like to offer you a contract for the next five seasons as our starting center chaser."

%%%%%

            "Fred and George Weasley." The twins turned to see a short witch with curly blonde hair standing behind them. 

            "Amy Lopez, recruiter for the Chudley Cannons."

            "The Cannons?" Fred questioned. Amy nodded.

            "Ron's gonna shit bricks," George said. Amy smiled.

            "What would you guys say to a pair of contracts as our starting beaters?"


	44. Chapter 44

This isn't mine. It's JKR's and parts are Joss's.  
  
This chapter is for Drew and Nat, for all the help they did in keeping my ideas sane and reading and re-reading and proofing and betaing and just generally being great.  
  
Thanks to all my reviewers.  
  
Review please.  
  
*****  
  
"Who cast the spell that was responsible for starting the Goblin Rebellion of 1476?" Hermione questioned. She looked up from the thin slip of white paper she held and looked expectantly at her friends. Ernie rifled quickly through his notes to find the correct answer. Ron had a dazed look on his face that he'd kept pretty much since Hermione had made them start intense O.W.L.'s revision almost a week earlier. Mandy doodled something that looked suspiciously like "Mandy loves Ron" into small hearts all over a piece of spare parchment. Justin had abandoned all attempts at studying in favor of napping with his forehead planted squarely on the table. Hannah and Harry had a piece of parchment between them and were immersed in an intense game of tic-tac-toe.  
  
"Nigel the carefree!" Ernie finally cried. He looked triumphantly up at Hermione. Hermione shook her head at him.  
  
"Nigel the careless," she corrected.  
  
"Carefree, careless, what difference does it make?" Ernie asked. He ran a hand through his sandy hair and pushed his glasses up on his nose.  
  
"Ernie! The difference could be the only thing that stands between you graduating or staying a fifth year forever!" Hermione screeched. Ron elbowed Ernie lightly in his ribs.  
  
"You can share moaning Myrtle's toilet," he offered. Ernie glared at him and shook his head.  
  
"Thanks, but no thanks."  
  
"Could you imagine spending eternity with Moaning Myrtle?" Mandy questioned. Hannah snatched Harry's glasses from his face and put them on hers. She had already gathered her hair into braided pigtails earlier  
  
"Oh its dreadful!" she cried in a dead on impression of the ghost. "I'm a horrible reject and I've got to spend the rest of my life in a toilet with no one to talk to and no boys to snog!" The group, save Hermione all laughed as though Hannah's impression was the funniest thing they'd seen in weeks.  
  
"Heaven forbid you not have boys to snog!" Mandy screeched.  
  
"Boys? As in more than one?" Harry sounded slightly offended.  
  
"Heaven forbid you not have Harry to snog!" Mandy corrected her statement. Harry nodded.  
  
"Much better," he said.  
  
"Well of course. But Moaning Myrtle wouldn't have Harry to snog, just boys. If I ever catch Harry snogging Moaning Myrtle," Hannah didn't get a chance to finish her threat.  
  
"Drag my arse to the top of the Astronomy Tower and kick me off!" Harry demanded. Hannah nodded.  
  
"What is the property of ghosts that makes snogging Moaning Myrtle a physical impossibility?" Hermione attempted to pull her friends attention back to studying. Mandy tapped her quill against the table rapidly and pressed her hand to her forehead in a highly melodramatic fashion.  
  
"It's that thing!" she squealed. "That makes them invisible only not! Like whitish and pearlyish! And walk-through-able!"  
  
"Mandy baby, you're fast heading towards the deep end. I think it's time for you to go back to your common room," Ron said. He reached over and massaged his girlfriend's shoulders.  
  
"No! I'm not going back to the common room with those pompous Ravenclaw arseholes who do nothing but study! I won't go and you can't make me!" the girl screeched.  
  
"Mandy darling, where will you sleep if you don't go back to your common room?" Ron reasoned.  
  
"With you!" Mandy squealed. "Or in Moaning Myrtle's toilet." Ernie and Harry quit trying to contain their laughter. Justin still slept. Hannah and Hermione glared at the boys while Ron tried to reason with his exam- stressed girlfriend.  
  
"Mandy dear, you can't sleep with me," Ron said.  
  
"Why not?" Mandy asked, lower lip poking out just a bit. She blinked her violet eyes twice at Ron before continuing. "We did that one time!" Before Mandy could spill any more incriminating information, Ron clamped a hand over her mouth.  
  
"Hermione! You've broken my girlfriend! Ron declared. He tried to will his face away from the fire engine red color it had achieved and picked up his girlfriend, careful not to move his hand from her mouth. "You've locked her in the Great Hall and forgotten to let her do anything but study and now she's all crazy!"  
  
"Ron!" Hermione began.  
  
"I'm taking her to Madame Pomfrey!" Ron insisted. "Great Hermione, you've broken Ron too," Ernie screeched.  
  
"If I offer to share a toilet with Moaning Myrtle and babble incoherently do you think she'll allow you to drag me to the hospital wing?" Harry asked, looking earnestly up at Hannah.  
  
"Babe, I'm over here," Hannah said, waving at Harry.  
  
"No you're not," Harry insisted. "You're right there!" He pointed directly at Hannah's face.  
  
Am not!" Hannah cried. "I'm over here."  
  
"You've broken them too!" Ernie screeched. "These Saturday study sessions are just too much for the less academically minded." Justin sat up and scratched his head. The front of his chocolate brown hair stuck straight up and he had an imprint of the table's wood grain on his head.  
  
"If she would just give him back his glasses wouldn't they be okay?" he asked. Not waiting to hear a reply, he let his head crash back into the table and continued his nap.  
  
"Oh yeah," Harry laughed. He reached over, pulled his glasses from her face, and returned them to his.  
  
"So do you guys what to take a ten or 15 minute break?" Hermione questioned.  
  
"Or we could quit for the day," Harry suggested.  
  
"Twenty minutes," Hermione offered.  
  
"Or we could quit for the day," Harry repeated. "And go flying."  
  
"Sounds fun," Hannah said.  
  
"But guys, O.W.L.'s are important. If you don't pass them you won't get good jobs!" Ernie screeched. "Hannah, you'll never get to be a mediwitch without Potions and Charms O.W.L.'s and Harry, what do you want to do?"  
  
"Live," Harry replied simply. "Or if that doesn't work out I could always drive the Knight Bus." Ernie and Hermione both glared at Harry while Hannah giggled lightly.  
  
"Okay, so maybe you won't need O.W.L.'s to drive the Knight Bus," Ernie said.  
  
"Maybe one in Muggle Studies if I wasn't muggle born," Harry reasoned.  
  
"Harry dear, you aren't muggle born," Hermione reminded him. Harry shrugged.  
  
"Sometimes it's easy to forget," Harry admitted.  
  
"You don't have Draco Malfoy reminding you every time he sees you," Hermione muttered.  
  
"Draco Malfoy is a prick!" Ernie announced.  
  
"Tell us something we don't know, McMillan," Hannah laughed.  
  
"Well, of the seven people in here earlier, muggleborns held the majority with four, then we had one half blood and two pure bloods," Ernie said.  
  
"Actually, I'm not necessarily a muggleborn," Hannah said. Hermione, Harry, and Ernie all turned to look at Hannah.  
  
"Mum's a muggle, but we don't know anything more about my dad than his last name," the girl explained.  
  
"Which is?" Hermione prompted.  
  
"Chase," Hannah replied. "It's my middle name." The turning wheels in Hermione's head were nearly visible.  
  
"So if we go to the library and search through back records of students for the past 40 or so years we can see if anyone with the last name Chase has attended the school," she said.  
  
"Or we could just not worry about it until after O.W.L.'s," Hannah said. "I've lived 16 years knowing nothing about the man. A few more months won't kill me."  
  
"Speaking of O.W.L.'s, we should study," Hermione said.  
  
"Hermione, they're still over a week away and you've already driven Mandy insane," Ernie said.  
  
"Enough studying already," Harry said. He began shoving books into his bag. "Time for some obligatory fun. Everyone back to your common rooms. Round up every one who wants to come and meet back here in 30 minutes. It's time for a castle-wide game of hide and seek."  
  
*****  
  
"Now why exactly are we here?" Sawyer questioned. "Is someone missing? Because if we have to search for someone, I'm pairing with someone besides the Mandrake!"  
  
"Shut up Sawyer Lewis!" Chelsea demanded.  
  
"Well, no one is missing," Harry said. "Yet."  
  
"Hide and seek!" Ernie announced.  
  
"Does everyone understand the rules?" Hermione questioned. A small voice from the back of the group sounded.  
  
"You need to set boundaries, choose 'it's' and decide whether or not we're playing in teams," it advised. Harry nodded.  
  
"The boundaries are the castle. No common rooms, offices, or bathrooms. Other than that, anywhere is fair game. We'll play in teams of no more than three for safety reasons. No using magic, no doing anything that will put Filch on our tails, and please, be smart about this," Harry said. The assembled group nodded.  
  
"This first year is voting that couples shouldn't be allowed to hide together. I, for one, don't want to have to see or stop any snogging," Astrid declared. Sawyer and Jason nodded their agreement.  
  
"I propose someone in each group be prepared to ward off attacks from Venomous gnawing rock-flies," a stringy-haired Ravenclaw said from the back of the group. The girl wore a cap fashioned from what appeared to be aluminum foil over her blonde hair. Her earrings looked like fishhooks and she wore a necklace made of beads formed from bubblegum wrappers.  
  
"Looney Lovegood," Mandy hissed to Ron. "The only Ravenclaw who would step away from her studies long enough to come play." Ron chuckled under his breath. Madame Pomfrey had given Mandy a stress relieving potion and Hermione, Harry, Hannah and Ernie had found the pair snogging in a side hallway just outside the hospital wing.  
  
"Don't worry, we've got the flies taken care of!" Sawyer insisted. He pulled an imaginary sword from the belt of his pants and brandished it playfully at Luna.  
  
"I'm serious," Luna said, glaring at the first year. Sawyer grinned broadly at the girl.  
  
"Shall I introduce you to my dear friend Chelsea the Mandrake then?" Sawyer shoved the Hufflepuff towards the Ravenclaw. "Resident expert on all types of rock-flies. She'll be more than happy to be on your team."  
  
"Sawyer!" Astrid shrieked.  
  
"I'll be on their team too," Nathan volunteered. Chelsea glared steadily at Sawyer. Sawyer tossed one arm around Astrid's shoulders and the other around Jason's.  
  
"Team?" he asked. Jason shrugged the smaller boy's arm away.  
  
"Team," he and Astrid agreed. Harry slid an arm around Hermione's shoulders and stretched up to place the other around Ron's.  
  
"Team?" He questioned. Ron copied Jason's motion to keep out of Harry's grasp.  
  
"Team," the fifth years agreed. Hannah looked between Mandy, Ernie, and Justin.  
  
"You three go together, I'll go with Colin and Piper," Justin stepped towards the pair of Gryffindor fourth years. Ernie raised his eyebrows at Justin while Piper giggled into her hand.  
  
"TEAM!" Fred, George, and Lee chorused.  
  
"Special rules for them!" Angelina declared. The three chasers had chosen to be on a team together. Hermione nodded.  
  
"No pranks, no scaring anyone, no testing products on unsuspecting game participants or even people passing through the halls," Hermione said, glaring most specifically at Fred. Fred stepped towards his girlfriend and wrapped his arms around her waist. He dipped her backwards over his left arm before pulling her up into a kiss.  
  
"Would I ever?" he asked.  
  
"Do you really want me to answer that question?" Hermione responded. Fred shook his head and released his girlfriend. She smiled sweetly at him and stepped back even with her friends.  
  
"So who is going to be it?" Kyle asked. He, Seamus and Dean had teamed up, while Lavender and Parvati had paired with Marissa Lucas. Ginny, Jae, and Natalie McDonald formed another team. The door to the Great Hall creaked open and one William Sanguinis stepped partway inside.  
  
"Is this where the study break to end all study breaks is happening?" He questioned. The group nodded. He stopped fully into the great hall and pulled someone in behind him. A very nervous looking Cho Chang stepped out from behind her boyfriend. Her left hand clasped Sanguinis's right lightly. She ran her right through her formerly waist-length hair. Now the black locks stopped just below her chin in front and angled to a point level with the bottom of her ears in back. Her eyes were lined with thick black liner. She smoothed her hair again and Ron gasped. The sound caught in his throat and escaped only as a small squeak.  
  
"What's your problem?" Harry hissed.  
  
"Cho," Ron squeaked, soliciting another glare from Mandy. "Cho and Sanguinis. Quidditch. Seventh year. July!"  
  
"Hush Ron!" Hermione commanded. "We'll talk later," Harry added. Ron stopped his seemingly inane babbling and ran both of his hands through his hair, making it all stand up on end.  
  
"Join a team then," Harry prompted. William and Cho nodded and surveyed the gathered players.  
  
"How about you let us be it?" Cho finally suggested.  
  
"Fine," Harry agreed. Behind him, Ron gave another squeak.  
  
"Wait five minutes," Hermione added. "Then seek. First group found is the next game's it." Everyone nodded his or her agreement. Harry looked out across his friends. Astrid, Jason, and Sawyer were already whispering a plan among themselves. Luna steadily sized up Chelsea and Nathan. Cho and Sanguinis had stepped, albeit very nervously, to the back of the group.  
  
"Well then can we go?" Ron questioned. Hermione nodded.  
  
"Certainly," Harry agreed. One by one, the groups turned and ran out of the Great Hall, heading straight for the perfect hiding spot. Soon only Mandy, Ernie, Hannah, Hermione, Harry, and Ron were left standing with William and Cho.  
  
"Any ideas?" Harry questioned.  
  
"Yes, but I don't think talking about them here would be a good idea." Ron cast a furtive glance over Harry's head to where Sanguinis and Cho stood.  
  
"I meant about a hiding spot," Harry hissed.  
  
"We could always go to the library and sit between the shelves somewhere in the back," Hermione said.  
  
"So you can study while we play," Ron replied. "I think not!" Hermione frowned at the tall redhead.  
  
"We could at least try to get as far away from the Great Hall as possible so even if we have to duck behind a tapestry, we won't be the first ones found," Harry said. Ron and Hermione both nodded and the trio turned and walked from the Great Hall.  
  
"Dungeons or upstairs?" Harry questioned when they stepped into the entrance hall.  
  
"Dungeons," Ron said.  
  
"Upstairs," Hermione replied at the same time. "Less tapestry to hide behind in the dungeons," she reasoned.  
  
"Fewer people are brave enough to go to the dungeons. Perhaps if Sanguinis and Cho are distracted by the people hiding upstairs, we'll have more time to talk about whatever it is that has Ron reduced to a blubbering idiot," Harry said. He took the first steps that led down into the dungeons. Hermione and Ron followed him.  
  
"Or more of a blubbering idiot," a familiar voice said from the bottom of the stairs.  
  
"Malfoy!" Ron spat. He froze on the steps behind Harry, leaving Hermione to crash into him.  
  
"Sorry Weasel, that was un-called for, but Potty set it up too perfectly," Malfoy said. Ron glanced over his shoulder at Hermione who shrugged as well as she could manage. She had one hand on each of Ron's shoulders and leaned against him to keep her balance from her stumble due to his sudden stop.  
  
"Okay, who are you and what have you done with the Malfoy that would never apologize to Ron?" Harry questioned, partially thankful that he was on the stairs between Ron and the Slytherin.  
  
"Look, I didn't mean to interrupt whatever the three of you were heading down here to get yourselves into. Contessa just gave me this to give to Weasley to give to my sister," Draco said. He held out a silvery ball on a thin silver chain.  
  
"So you're claiming her as your sister now are you?" Ron questioned, glaring steadily at Draco.  
  
"Weasel, I didn't find you to debate the ethics of dealing with siblings. Though with six, you should be the expert on them," Draco began.  
  
"May I remind you that you will have five in September?" Hermione questioned from behind Ron.  
  
"Four, Mudblood. Where did you learn to count?" Draco questioned. "Keiran, Astrid, Emma and the baby make four."  
  
"Barrett," Hermione challenged. For just a moment Draco's careful façade dropped but before the look had any chance to register with the trio, he schooled his features back to the calm mask he always wore.  
  
"Does my sister tell all of our family secrets?" Draco questioned, quietly menacing. The Gryffindors weren't exactly sure how to respond.  
  
"Then I suppose you know about the ceremony and Keiran's little issue," Draco said. More silent and uncomfortable stares from the Gryffindors ensued. Draco smacked a hand to his forehead.  
  
"I'm really going to have to have a discussion about secrets with my sister," he muttered.  
  
"We also know who tried to kill you," Ron said, leveling a glare on Draco. Draco pulled his hand away from his head and looked up at the redhead. Surprise showed in his silver eyes, though his face betrayed no emotion. Harry spoke for the rest of them.  
  
"We do?" he asked. Ron nodded twice.  
  
"At least, I think I do," he said. Harry walked up the stairs between himself and his friend he grabbed the redhead by the sleeve and pulled him down the stairs. Hermione stumbled after them.  
  
"We need to talk," he said.  
  
"I thought you both liked girls," Draco said.  
  
"If I thought I could grab your sleeve and drag you and get away with it, you'd be standing right here next to him. I do, however, think you're going to want to hear this conversation," Harry replied.  
  
"We do like girls!" Ron supplied, glaring at his friend for ignoring Malfoy's comment. Harry ignored both boys and pulled his best friend into the nearest empty room. The only item in the room was a large grand piano.  
  
"Speak," Harry commanded, turning Ron to face him. Draco barked softly twice from the door.  
  
"Malfoy, if you insist on being in here, at least keep your mouth shut," Harry demanded. Draco shrugged.  
  
"I didn't insist on being here but since none of you has yet to take this necklace from me, I figured it would be in my best interest to follow you," Draco replied.  
  
"Sanguinis," Ron announced.  
  
"WHAT?" Harry and Hermione questioned.  
  
"You said he and Cho had been together since July, right?" Ron asked Harry. Harry nodded.  
  
"Pardon my asking, but what does Sanguinis have anything to do with anything?" Draco questioned. "Especially Sanguinis's love life!"  
  
"If this Contessa Borgin knows what she's talking about," Ron began.  
  
"She does," Draco cut in. "She's just so damned cryptic that it's hard to figure her out sometimes." The three friends glared at her.  
  
"If she knows what she's talking about, then Sanguinis is the person who has been causing the trouble inside Hogwarts," Ron said. "Her clues were one of nine non-Slytherin seventh year Quidditch players, dating the same person since July, and then some cryptic shit about don't count out your teammates. The seventh year Quidditch players are Sanguinis, Eloise Midgeon, Carter Anderson and Alexa Raymond, the chasers and twins, and Pucey. None of them save Sanguinis has been dating the same person since July. It has to be him!" Harry and Hermione both nodded.  
  
"So he's the bloody bastard that landed me in the hospital wing for the better part of three weeks?" Malfoy asked.  
  
"I think so," Ron said. "But you probably already knew that."  
  
"Actually, I didn't," Draco admitted. "Contessa's clues to me were a bit more cryptic than her clues to you, and I generally don't keep up with seventh year Quidditch player's love lives."  
  
"But it does make sense," Hermione said. "Because I distinctly remember someone saying you had stayed behind to talk to Sanguinis after practice the night before you played potions master."  
  
"That's when the bloody bastard hexed me," Draco spat.  
  
"You remember?" Hermione questioned.  
  
"Well no," Draco admitted, "But it's only reasonable." He stood up and started towards the door.  
  
"Where are you going?" Harry questioned.  
  
"To choke my little brother until he tells me everything he knows," Draco replied, smirking evilly at the three friends.  
  
"Can we at least have the necklace?" Ron questioned.  
  
"Oh, right," Draco tossed the chain at the taller boy. "You're the only one that should touch it, and make sure you stress how important it is that she never take it off, because we don't know when the ceremony could happen."  
  
"This summer, right?" Hermione questioned. Draco shrugged.  
  
"As far as Contessa can figure, they need a few more ingredients before they can complete the ceremony. However, they may already have all of those. I don't exactly know though," Draco said.  
  
"Right. Now go choke your little brother," Ron said. He nodded at Draco and Draco ran out of the room.  
  
"So it looks like stopping the ceremony is going to be the big bad of this year," Hermione muttered.  
  
"The what?" Ron asked.  
  
"Nothing," Hermione replied. "Muggle reference."  
  
"But if the ceremony happens in the summer, how are the three of us going to stop it?" Harry questioned.  
  
"What's saying that we have to stop it?" Hermione questioned.  
  
"Well if we don't, what is going to happen that will allow us to save the day for this year?" Ron questioned.  
  
"What's saying that we have to save the day?" Harry questioned. Hermione and Ron closed their mouths and looked at their third. Ron's slowly fell back open.  
  
"Okay, you're right. That would be a normal year at Hogwarts and we don't have those," Harry relented.  
  
%%%%%  
  
"So we've got five minutes," Cho purred, stepping towards William. She ran her hands up his chest and clasped them behind his neck. He leaned down for a quick kiss.  
  
"How should we spend it?" she asked. William reached behind his head and grabbed her hands. He pulled them away from his head and smiled softly at her.  
  
"Cheating," he said. Before she could say anything else, he started towards the door of the Great Hall. Ernie, Mandy, and Hannah had disappeared only moments before through the door. "We're following my housemates."  
  
%%%%%  
  
"Do you think this is a good spot?" Nate asked, looking from Chelsea to Luna. The trio was perched in a small alcove between a statue and a suit of armor. A small fly crawled down the wall behind Luna. The girl caught its reflection in the suit of armor. Quietly, she reached over her shoulder and clamped her hands over it.  
  
"I've got one!" she hissed. "I must go tell father!" She jumped to her feet and ran down the hall, all thoughts of the game abandoned. Nathan looked over at Chelsea.  
  
"So that takes care of her," he laughed.  
  
"Yeah," Chelsea agreed, "But this spot sucks." Chelsea nodded and looked towards the pedestal on which the statue was seated.  
  
"Hey, that's hollow, do you think you could fit?" she asked. Nathan looked warily at the pedestal.  
  
"Maybe," he finally said. Chelsea nodded.  
  
"Good," she replied. "I'll go watch and make sure no one sees you trying to get in, and then I'll hide in the folds of the tapestry down there."  
  
"Sounds good, Mandrake," Nathan joked. Chelsea glared at him before jumping to her feet and running down the hall. Nathan slowly approached the pedestal and began trying to fit himself into the hollow base.  
  
"Hurry Nate," Chelsea urged. Nathan placed his left leg and arm into the pedestal and ducked his head so he could slide his right arm and leg in too.  
  
"Nate, I think someone's coming!" Chelsea insisted. Nate pulled the pedestal backwards towards the wall but Chelsea simply shrank back from the corner, still watching the proceedings in the adjoining hall.  
  
%%%%%  
  
"So where is this amazing hiding spot of yours, Ernie?" Mandy asked. Hannah skipped along next to her friends.  
  
"I wish I could have hid with Harry," she said.  
  
"You'll see," Ernie answered Mandy's question and completely ignored Hannah.  
  
"So the two of you are over the fight you had about the American beater?" Mandy questioned. Hannah nodded.  
  
"Yep," she replied. "He explained that what I saw in the Great Hall was actually the crazy first year. I just didn't manage to see her in the tangle of bodies on the floor cause she is kind of tiny."  
  
"Hiding spot?" Mandy asked again.  
  
"You'll see," Ernie said again. Before anyone could say anything else. Ernie fell to the floor between the two girls. Mandy tapped the boy with the toe of her right shoe.  
  
"Ernie?" Hannah asked. She knelt down next to her friend and tried to turn him over.  
  
"Is he okay?" Mandy questioned. Hannah shrugged.  
  
"I think he's been stunned," Hannah replied. Mandy turned to face the end of the hall where the attack had come from. Before she could say anything, two figures standing at the end of the hall shot stunning spells in her direction. Both hit her directly in her chest and she toppled on top of Ernie. Hannah looked over at the growing pile of fallen friends. Before administering reviving spells to either of them, she, too, looked down the hall.  
  
"Stupefy," came the only words from a pair of figures before Hannah collapsed on top of Mandy.  
  
"In here," William said, pointing to a broom closet conveniently located just to the left of the pile of fifth years.  
  
"Will, why did we just do that?" Cho questioned.  
  
"Don't ask questions," William spat. Cho nodded nervously and helped her boyfriend begin moving the three fifth years into the closet.  
  
%%%%%  
  
Chelsea watched William and Cho stun three of her fifth year friends and then pry open a broom closet. When William began kicking Hannah into the closet and Cho attempted to drag Mandy to join her best friend, she turned on her heel and ran down the hall as fast as her legs would carry her. From his spot in the pedestal, Nate watched her speed by but chalked it up as part of the game. When William and Cho ran by a moment later, he figured that it was all part of the game also, so he waited several minutes before climbing from his hiding spot and making his way to the Great Hall.  
  
%%%%%  
  
"Do we have any votes of finding a better hiding place than this piano room?" Harry asked, glancing around the room before finally settling on looking from Ron to Hermione several times.  
  
"Seems good to me," Hermione said.  
  
"We probably won't be the first found, so who cares if they find us?" Ron questioned. Harry nodded and sank to the floor against the wall. Hermione had taken a seat on the piano bench and Ron leaned in the opposite corner. For a moment, the trio was silent. Before they could say anything, a tapping sounded at the door. They looked at each other, wide eyed, and slightly scared. Before they could make any moves or noise, the not fully latched door opened a crack, and a large black owl flew in. The bird headed straight for Harry and stopped just short of the boy's face. Harry reached up and took the scrap of parchment from the owl's leg. He unrolled it and quickly scanned the note. His face went pale and his head fell back against the wall. The parchment fluttered out of his hand.  
  
"What is it?" Hermione asked. She tumbled off the piano bench and onto the floor next to her friend in one fluid, though slightly ungraceful movement. Ron took two hurried steps from his corner. Hermione picked up the parchment and turned her back to Ron so he could read over her shoulder.  
  
I have one dear to you. Come and you will both die. Don't and the one will die cursing your name.  
  
Hermione crumpled the paper in her hand and looked up at Harry.  
  
"What are we going to do?" Ron asked.  
  
"I don't think it's a question of we, I think it's a question of me," Harry replied.  
  
"We, me," Hermione said. "It's a difference of direction really." Ron quirked an eyebrow at her. She shook her head at him.  
  
"So what's the plan?" Ron questioned.  
  
"You guys stay here, I go do what needs to be done," Harry responded.  
  
"Harry, since when have you ever done anything by yourself by choice?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Hermione's right," Ron added. "We're going with you and that's final."  
  
"Besides," Hermione paused to look at the note. "Okay, so the note said something about you both dying, but that's not there anymore. But maybe if we all go, we can prevent anyone from dying."  
  
"What does it say now?" Harry asked, eyes wide. Hermione read aloud from the note.  
  
To find that which your heart seeks Look not among the weak The hallowed brotherhood of valor Once took their places here And while in peace they did abide Their enemies cowered in fear Then one brave knight did break the faith And from his seat was tossed. You seek a table, arciform That mankind thinks is lost.  
  
"So it's telling us where they've got whatever it is that they've taken," Hermione said.  
  
"It's a table. That mankind thinks is lost," Ron added. "Meaning it could be ANYWHERE!"  
  
"It would have to be close," Hermione refuted Ron's logic. Harry nodded his support of Hermione.  
  
"Arciform, isn't that a shape?" Ron questioned.  
  
"Circular," Hermione replied. "And the rest of the poem now makes sense."  
  
"What?" Harry asked.  
  
"We have to find the round table. As in King Arthur and the Knights of the Round table," Hermione said, looking warily at her friend.  
  
"Can I repeat my bit about it could be anywhere?" Ron questioned.  
  
"You have," Hermione replied. Harry slowly got to his feet.  
  
"Think large circular table. Have we come in contact with any of those lately?" He questioned. He began walking towards the door, flanked by his friends. "And there is also the question of exactly who they've taken. Because you two are obviously still here, and we just saw Ginny and Hannah."  
  
"Astrid," Ron said.  
  
"Okay Astrid. Yes, very reasonable!" Harry cried. He began a slow jog for the stairs. Ron kept up with him easily, but Hermione struggled.  
  
"Should we take the cloak?" Ron asked when the trio reached the top of the stairs.  
  
"Do you have a pocket big enough to put it in?" Harry asked. "Because I think I'll be able to do my charmed invisibility if I absolutely have to."  
  
"So can I," Hermione said. Ron frowned at them.  
  
"It's not fair," he insisted. He stopped dead in his tracks and looked at his friends.  
  
"Try it again," Harry prompted. Ron closed his eyes and began muttering the spell for charmed invisibility under his breath. Slowly his feet and the top of his head faded from view, followed by his face, his legs up to his knees, and his arms up to his elbows.  
  
"You're doing it!" Hermione screeched just before Ron disappeared completely.  
  
"So someone Harry loves needs to get kidnapped more often so I can master difficult charms things," Ron's voice sounded from just behind Hermione, signaling his movement.  
  
"Accio Invisibility Cloak" Harry whispered. Hermione looked at him and Ron snorted indignantly.  
  
"I don't want him coming visible just because he hasn't mastered the spell yet," Harry said. Ron snorted again, and Hermione shrugged at Harry.  
  
"I saw that," Ron muttered, still behind Hermione. Harry reached out and caught the cloak as it zipped past Ron and Hermione.  
  
"Any ideas as to where the table is?" Hermione asked. Ron slowly faded back to visibility.  
  
"Large round table," Harry muttered.  
  
"Yes, Harry, that is what you're looking for," Hermione said.  
  
"Hogsmeade would be reasonable."  
  
%%%%%  
  
"Chelsea turned anther corner and considered pausing for breath. She didn't know if William and Cho had heard her or were following her. She figured she needed to find Dumbledore or Harry. Or both.  
  
"Where is Harry hiding?" she asked herself as she jogged. She pushed her reddish brown hair back from her face. She rounded another corner and found herself right at the stairs leading down into the Entrance Hall. She glanced over into the hall and noticed three figures conversing near the door to the Great Hall.  
  
"HARRY!" she shouted. The fifth year spun on his heel and looked up at the breathless, red-faced Hufflepuff.  
  
"What Chelsea?" Harry snapped, slightly angrier than he meant to sound.  
  
"It's Hannah," Chelsea gasped. "They've knocked her out," She paused for several large gulps of air. Before she could continue her sentence, Sanguinis spun around the corner.  
  
"Stupefy," he muttered. The spell struck the girl's left temple. She pitched forward and tumbled down the stairs.  
  
"Chelsea!" Hermione cried.  
  
"Will, what's going on?" Cho asked. William spun back into the hall and flattened himself against the wall.  
  
"Nothing baby," William replied. Cho widened her heavily lined eyes at her boyfriend. He leaned in for a quick kiss.  
  
"We've cursed four too many people for this to be nothing," Cho objected. William reached for his left sleeve and began rolling it up. He turned his forearm so that it was in Cho's full view. Slowly, the black markings of a snake-tongued skull appeared. Cho's right fist flew to her mouth and she bit pensively on her middle knuckle as her boyfriend slowly revealed his dark mark.  
  
%%%%%  
  
"Merlin," Harry cried, stomping his feet for effect. Hermione ran over to the girl crumpled at the bottom of the stairs. Chelsea's left leg stuck out from her body at the oddest of angles.  
  
"Do they have Astrid or Hannah?" Harry questioned. Ron took two nervous steps towards the bottom of the steps.  
  
"Don't, Ron," Hermione warned. "We don't know what's up there." Ron took another step.  
  
"What happened?" A familiar voice asked from the Great Hall door.  
  
"Astrid!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
"Chelsea!" Jason and Sawyer shrieked. The boys headed to Hermione, sliding to a halt on the stone right next to their fallen friend. Astrid hurried over to Ron.  
  
"What's going on?" She looked up at the fifth year through earnest silver eyes. Ron held his hands down to the girl. She quickly clambered into his arms  
  
"Our plan was to sneak into the Great Hall directly after Cho and Sanguinis left. They so did not wait five minutes before they sought," Astrid whispered. Ron looked over the girl's shoulder to where Harry stood in the corner. Harry stared at the parchment as though he would miraculously see something that wasn't there. Hermione, Jason, and Sawyer crouched around Chelsea. Hermione seemed to be whispering instructions to the boys.  
  
"Something weird is going on here," Ron finally declared.  
  
"Something weird is going on here," Astrid echoed. "Should be the school motto."  
  
"Something weird involving Sanguinis and some cryptic notes. I need you to go find Dumbledore and tell him that something weird is happening involving Harry, Hannah and the Knights of the Round Table," Ron instructed. Astrid nodded once.  
  
"The Knights of the Round Table?" Astrid asked.  
  
"You wouldn't happen to know where the Round Table is would you?" Ron asked, half smiling at the little girl still perched in his arms.  
  
"Madame Rosmerta has it," Astrid replied promptly. "Lucius tried to buy it from her this past summer for some sort of ceremony thing. I don't know what the ceremony is about though, I stopped listening at that point."  
  
"The Three Broomsticks!" Harry cried.  
  
"Looks like Potter has come to the same conclusion," Astrid laughed. Ron shifted the girl's weight to his right arm and used his left hand to pull the necklace from his pocket.  
  
"Put this on," he instructed.  
  
"What is it?" Astrid asked and she struggled to clasp the chain under her white blonde hair.  
  
"It's something that may save you. Draco gave it to me to give to you and told me to stress the importance of never taking it off," Ron said. Astrid nodded.  
  
"Importance stressed," she said. Chelsea's body slowly levitated off the floor. Her leg was in a splint that Hermione had conjured. Jason took control of his still unconscious friend and he and Sawyer began floating her up the stairs towards the hospital wing.  
  
"Okay chica, go find Dumbledore," Ron said. Astrid nodded solemnly at her friend.  
  
"What are you going to do?" she asked.  
  
"Looks like we're headed for the Three Broomsticks," Ron replied. Astrid nodded again before wrapping her arms tightly around Ron's neck.  
  
"Be safe," she urged. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do. Like get yourself killed." Ron nodded into her hair.  
  
"I will," he whispered. "And I won't." Astrid nodded and pulled away. She wiggled for a moment, signaling that she wanted to stand on her own. Ron returned her to her feet. She looked up at him and brushed her bangs away from her forehead.  
  
"See you later," she finally said. Before Ron could say anything, she turned on her heel and ran up the stairs for Dumbledore's office.  
  
"Ready now?" Harry asked. He stood with one hand on the front door, tapping his foot impatiently. Hermione stood next to him, forehead creased with worry and eyes darting from Harry to Ron back to Harry. Ron nodded.  
  
"Do we have a plan?" he questioned. "Astrid said you were right about the location of the round table. She also said Lucius tried to buy it for a ceremony of some sort over the summer, but Madame Rosmerta wouldn't sell, so who knows what we're getting ready to walk ourselves into." Harry pushed the door open and headed out into the crisp May air. Hermione followed him with Ron a few steps behind her.  
  
"We're going to go rescue Hannah," Harry finally replied.  
  
"So we're purposefully leaving school grounds by the front door and we're going to charge into a probable Death Eater rally like the bloody cavalry," Ron said. "Does anyone besides me think that this is a recipe to get dead?"  
  
"What do you propose?" Harry questioned.  
  
"For starters, we should fly so we can get there faster," Ron said. "And with your Firebolt, you'll at least stand a good chance of getting away if a fast escape is needed."  
  
"You have to remember that the table is in the basement. One way in, one way out. That significantly complicates getting in and out secretly," Hermione said. Harry picked up his pace towards the front gate and lazily summoned his and Ron's brooms from the shed as he walked.  
  
"How many do you think will be there," Ron questioned. Hermione stopped and pulled out her wand. She pointed it first at Ron, then at Harry and muttered two quick spells.  
  
"Hermione, it feels like you've coated my skin in paste," Ron announced. Hermione quickly performed the spell on herself.  
  
"My skin feels all tight and stretched," Harry said.  
  
"You're both now basically fire proof," Hermione explained. "For at least enough time to get out of a burning building."  
  
"What are you planning Hermione darling?" Ron questioned.  
  
"If all else fails, I'll torch the building," Hermione replied. "Fire tends to panic people. We'll grab Hannah and run cause I bet they haven't thought of fireproofing."  
  
"Great, we have a back up plan," Ron muttered. "Remind me again how we saved the day those other four times?" Harry reached out and caught both brooms. He tossed one to Ron and mounted his. Ron looked at the broom in his hands.  
  
"Harry, this isn't my broom," he said. Harry nodded.  
  
"I know. You're to shrink it and keep it in your pocket. If it comes to torching the building, enlarge it, blast through the ceiling, and the two of you get out as quick as you can," Harry said. "I'll get Hannah and follow you." Hermione muttered another spell. A moment later, she held another broom in her hands.  
  
"Fred's," she explained. "Hannah can fly her own way out so we don't have to double so many people." She shrunk the broom and placed it into her pocket. Ron climbed onto the Firebolt and moved to the front to make room for Hermione behind him. Hermione climbed onto the broom and wrapped her arms tightly around Ron's waist.  
  
"Ready?" Harry asked. The pair nodded.  
  
"When we get there, I'll go in, the pair of you stay at the top of the stairs and wait for me. If they're not expecting you to come, they just may kill you, and I'm completely serious about that." Ron and Hermione nodded again. Harry kicked off and turned Ron's broom towards Hogsmeade. Ron and Hermione followed him on the Firebolt.  
  
%%%%%  
  
Nathan struggled to keep his breathing inaudible. The portrait on the other side of the corridor kept shooting him dirty looks. He could still hear Cho and William at the end of the hall. After the most recent stunning spell, he had heard someone tumble down the stairs and Hermione shout Chelsea. Though he had never played hide and seek as a child, being pureblooded and everything, he knew that stunning spells weren't part of the rules. Unsure of what to do, he flattened himself against a wall just around the corner from Cho and William. The pair of older students didn't move for several minutes. Finally, Nathan heard the front door of the school open and almost immediately close. Cho and William's end of the hall was suddenly quiet.  
  
"They've disappeared," the portrait finally said. Nathan exhaled deeply.  
  
"Disappeared?" he asked. The lady in the portrait nodded. She was a rather severe looking old woman with salt and pepper hair pulled back in a tight bun reminiscent of McGonagall's. Her deep red robes were of a style favored in the early 1900's. Nathan stepped towards the portrait.  
  
"Portkey, I suspect," she said. "Even after last year, my grandson didn't ward the castle against people getting out by using them." Nathan looked at the small gold plaque at the bottom of the gilt frame.  
  
"Minerva Dumbledore," Nathan read.  
  
"Yes boy," the woman said. She peered down at Nathan through square black glasses. "Now go find Albus, er, Professor Dumbledore, and tell him about the students running about his school as if they own the place and especially about those two disappearing. Tell him Grandmother Minnie sent you."  
  
%%%%%  
  
"How long should we wait?" Hermione questioned. She caught a piece of fingernail between her teeth and tore it off. The trio had landed in Hogsmeade just outside The Three Broomsticks. Ron set about shrinking the brooms. He stowed the Firebolt in his pocket and handed his miniature Nimbus to Harry.  
  
"Indefinitely," Harry said. "Hex the hell out of them when they bring my dead arse up the stairs, but don't come down those steps for anything. Your lives could depend on it." Hermione and Ron both nodded.  
  
"Ready?" Harry questioned. His two best friends nodded again. Hermione hurried over to Harry. She tossed her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest. He slid his arms around her shoulders and easily rocked her back and forth for a moment. Before either could release the other, Ron stepped over and tossed his long arms around both of them.  
  
"At the risk of sounding incredibly cheesy, I love you guys," Hermione muttered from the center of the hug.  
  
"I love you too," Harry said. He untangled himself from the mix of limbs and grasped Hermione's chin. He pulled her eyes up to level with his. Then he leaned in and dropped a very brotherly kiss on her left cheek  
  
"I love you three," Ron said. He spun Hermione to face him and grasped her shoulders. He planted a kiss squarely on her forehead before turning his signature shade of bright red.  
  
"Now my other cheek feels left out." Hermione frowned. Harry and Ron looked at each other over her head, so they didn't pay attention to her statement. Neither boy could bring himself to verbalize the thoughts running through his head. Hermione stepped from in between the pair. Finally, Ron held his right hand out to Harry. Harry accepted the offered handshake. Rather than release Ron's hand, he pulled the older, taller boy to him. Their left hands automatically went to their friend's back. After a few rough claps on the back, the pair released each other. Their hug said what their masculinity would not let them say aloud.  
  
"Ready then?" Harry asked. Ron and Hermione nodded.  
  
"Let's go save my girlfriend," Harry said. He turned to the door of the Inn and walked directly into the main room. Ron and Hermione followed him on either side. Harry looked to either side of the room. Madame Rosmerta lay half on the bar. Her hips and legs dangled towards the floor. One of her ruby slippers lay several meters away from her. Her lilac robes were immaculate but her wide blue eyes were open towards the ceiling in a death stare. Several patrons lay slumped into their drinks at tables o the opposite side of the room. Two wizards had fallen off their stools at the bar and one lay sprawled in the center of the room.  
  
"Oh shit," Ron muttered. Harry shot him a look that immediately silenced the redhead. Hermione swallowed hard and focused her attention at a spot on the far wall. Harry stepped easily over the wizard in the floor. Hermione and Ron skirted to either side of the body. Harry stopped at the top of the stairs. Ron and Hermione took positions on either side of the door. Harry extended his foot to begin down the steps when Hermione held up a hand to stop him. He quickly pulled his foot back even with the other. Hermione rushed over to the fallen patrons and fished three wands out of three successive pockets. She headed back to her friends and handed each of the boys a wand before pocketing her own and holding the extra out in front of her.  
  
"Genius," Harry mouthed. He slid his wand up his sleeve and held the spare out in front of him. Then he turned back to the stairs and slowly began down them. When he was about halfway down, a voice sounded from the room.  
  
"What have we here? Has Potter finally ridden to the rescue?" the silky voice asked. Harry clambered down the rest of the stairs. He found himself face to face with a room full of about 10 Death Eaters. The two largest stood on either side of the table, arms crossed over their chests like a pair of professional bodyguards. A person lay on the table, arms stretched out to either side in the directions of the largest death eaters. Harry couldn't see the person's head. Only one stood between them. He had a long blonde ponytail that trailed from the hood of his robe. The other seven gathered around the table, attention focused on Harry.  
  
"Where's Hannah?" Harry asked. He kept his wand trained towards the floor so as not to offend or accidentally curse anyone. His eyes had hardened to a deep green color as he glared at the head death eater.  
  
"We don't have your precious Hannah," the man replied in a voice that was unmistakably Lucius Malfoy's. The figure on the table raised his head to look at Harry.  
  
"Sirius!" Harry gasped. Harry's godfather let his head fall back to the table.  
  
"Yes, we have your precious godfather. He is going to die just as your insufferable prick of a father and whore of a mother did," Lucius purred. Harry's gaze intensified and he moved his wand up so that it pointed directly at the center of Lucius's chest.  
  
"Oh, don't worry," Lucius assured Harry. "You're going with him."  
  
"No," Harry whispered.  
  
"Actually yes. We need your blood and his for a ritual that will make My Lord a pureblooded wizard," Lucius said.  
  
"Blood isn't something you can change, Malfoy," Harry hissed. A dull throbbing began in his forehead. Lucius twirled his wand through his slim fingers with practiced ease.  
  
"Oh but it is," Lucius countered. "The blood of one half-blood child, one three-fourths pure teenager, and one pureblooded wizard drained at a site of magical significance will be enough to erase any and all impurities from my masters blood.  
  
"Where's the kid?" Harry questioned.  
  
"Goyle," Lucius snapped his fingers twice. Goyle crouched behind the table and appeared a moment later with a small body in his arms. The girl looked about three. Her blonde hair was shorn off unevenly across her head. Her blue eyes were dull and nearly lifeless.  
  
"We have her," Lucius said. Harry felt a heavy weight smash into his lower body. He fell to the floor under the weight.  
  
"Look what we found at the top of the stairs," A familiar voice announced. Harry finally registered the weight on top of him as his own best friend. He rolled from under Ron's lifeless body, just in time to see William Sanguinis appear at the bottom of the steps. He stepped to his left and Cho appeared just behind him. Hermione stood in front of Cho with her hands bound in front of her. Cho had her left arm wrapped around Hermione's neck. In her right hand, she held her wand pointed steadily at Hermione's right temple. Blood trickled from a cut at the corner of Hermione's mouth. Sanguinis roughly kicked Ron towards the wall. The fifth year slid several meters in that direction but didn't make contact with the stone structure.  
  
"Very well, put them at the base of the table," Lucius instructed. William gave Ron another swift kick in his ribs. Harry almost thought he saw Ron wince with pain. He shook the thought out of his mind as Cho pushed Hermione head first into Ron. Ron was obviously unconscious.  
  
"Looks as though your cavalry is useless, Potter," Lucius muttered. Harry ran a hand through his hair, making it stand up more than usual. Before he could say anything, Lucius turned to Sanguinis.  
  
"What right do you think you have to bring her here?" he asked. Had his eyes been visible, he would have been glaring. William opened his mouth and closed it again. He repeated the action twice more before finally shrugging at the older death eater.  
  
"YOU KILLED CEDRIC!" Cho screeched. She pulled her wand and aimed it at Lucius.  
  
"Someone take care of her," Lucius muttered, waving his left hand at several Death Eaters who had backed against the wall. One of the men in the center pulled a wand from his robe.  
  
"Avada Kedavra," the man muttered. A green flash of light erupted from the Death Eater's wand and stuck Cho directly in her chest. She crumpled to the ground.  
  
"YOU BASTARD!" William shrieked he dived towards the Death Eater. Three others stepped in to try to stop the teenager from injuring the other Death Eater. Harry caught Hermione's eye under the table. The girl tried valiantly not to look at Cho's lifeless body. The preschooler Goyle still held released a shriek from across the room. Harry looked away from Hermione and over to where the largest Death Eater stood with the little girl. Blood poured from a large cut in the girls throat. Lucius held a metal bowl under the girls throat to catch the blood. Harry's face went to a sickly pale before turning a lovely shade of green as he watched the proceedings. He looked back down to Hermione. She widened her brown eyes and then tried to raise one eyebrow at Harry. Four Death Eaters still tried to subdue William.  
  
"Attack now?" Hermione mouthed. Harry gave a little shrug.  
  
"Avada Kedavra," A Death Eater muttered. The increasingly familiar flash of green light appeared and William sank to the floor next to Cho. Hermione shook her head in a motion that was barely visible. The girl in Goyle's arms shrieked again. Hermione's eyes widened and she slowly shook her still bound hands. Harry noticed a wand inching its way out of her sleeve. Harry forced himself to look away from his friend so as not to draw attention to her actions. Suddenly, the robes of two of the Death Eaters that had been struggling with William combusted. Blue flames roared up from the hems of the robes. Both men shrieked. One of the other Death Eaters attempted to douse the flames, but before he could, he, too, was on fire. Harry took aim on Goyle.  
  
"Incendio," he muttered. The spell hit the man in the center of his chest. Flames rushed towards his face, causing him to drop the baby onto Sirius. A fourth Death Eater began burning thanks to Hermione. Someone finally realized where the spells were coming from. Hermione set a fifth Death Eater's robes on fire. When she was looking the other direction, a rather large Death Eater sprang on her from behind. The man crushed her to the floor, pushing Ron farther under the table. Before the man could do anything else to Hermione, Ron sat up, wand in hand, and stunned the man. The pair pushed the large weight off Hermione, and the girl sat up.  
  
"FREEZE!" Lucius yelled. Everyone stopped and looked at the Death Eater. Everyone, except Ron and Hermione that is. Lucius couldn't see what was happening under the table, so he didn't notice Ron working to sever the bonds that held Sirius's hands to the table, while Hermione freed Sirius's feet. Lucius held a large silver knife above his head.  
  
"No one move and I won't have to shove this through his head," he nodded towards Sirius. Harry managed to remain perfectly motionless. Sirius lay flat on his back on the table, looking up at the man standing over him with the knife. His breathing accelerated to a rate appropriate for a man about to be stabbed to death. Harry did the first thing he thought of.  
  
"Accio Knife," he said. He obviously hadn't thought of the implications of having a knife hurtling straight at his head, so he was forced to duck. The knife buried hilt deep in the wooden doorframe at the bottom of the stairs. Sirius took the opportunity to fully incapacitate Lucius. His right hand shot straight above his head and he sunk his fingers tightly into Lucius's crotch. Lucius howled loudly enough to shatter windows. Sirius's grip was relentless.  
  
"ACCIO WAND!"A Death Eater howled.  
  
"INCENDIO!" Hermione screeched at the same time. Her wand flew out of her hand but she didn't seem to notice. She rose to her feet, hands extended just above her head on both sides. She began a slow circle in the center of the room. Slowly, the walls of the room, just next to the roof, began to burn. Ron used his elbows to propel himself towards Lucius's dancing feet under the table. He scooped the limp girl up in his arms and held her close to his body. Her blue eyes rolled open and she seemed to focus on him for just a moment before her eyes closed completely.  
  
"Come on baby," he whispered. "Hang on." He fished the miniature broom out of his pocket. He pointed his wand at it and muttered a quick spell to enlarge it. He stepped out from under the table, mounted the broom, and held the limp body close to his chest. He held his wand out with the other hand and kicked off, charging straight towards the ceiling.  
  
"REDUCTO!" He shouted, only moments before he and the small girl would have crashed into the ceiling. A hole blew through the floor. Ron had to duck low over the girl's body and the broom to fit through, but he continued his path towards the second ceiling. A curse from one of the Death Eaters below whizzed past his left ear. He blew another hole in the ceiling as another spell whistled just over his head. He urged the Firebolt to speed up and tore through the second hole into the clear blue sky above. He immediately turned the broom towards Hogwarts and urged it to go faster.  
  
"AFTER HIM!" Lucius squealed from the basement. Sirius still hadn't let go of Lucius, causing the Death Eater's voice to have the pitch of a first year girl's. The majority of the Death Eaters were either smoldering or working to extinguish the fire rapidly spreading across the ceiling. Lucius disappeared with a pop and a squelching noise, directly from Sirius's grasp. Sirius jumped up on the table and turned to the death eaters, wand drawn.  
  
"Catch!" Hermione insisted. She fished Fred's broom from her pocket and tossed it to Sirius. Sirius caught the broom in one hand and turned to Goyle, who still stood smoking near the bowl of blood. He quickly bound the much larger man with ropes from his wand, the encased him in a block of ice. One by one, panicked Death Eaters began to disapparate from the room, ignoring their smoking robes. Harry grabbed Ron's broom from his pocket. At almost the same time, he and Sirius made the brooms return to their normal size.  
  
"I've got Hermione," Sirius called to Harry. Hermione stepped up on the table and over to Sirius. Harry jumped onto the broom and sped out of the hole Ron had already created. Sirius climbed onto the broom he held and moved towards the front to allow Hermione on behind him, one of the few remaining, non-burning Death Eaters muttered a spell under his breath. A flash of reddish-purple light ripped from his wand and smashed into Hermione's back. The Death Eater quickly disapparated. Blood sprang forth from Hermione's nose almost immediately as she slumped against Sirius's back and then fell sideways off the broom. Sirius, too, climbed off the broom. Thick smoke from the wooden ceiling beams began to fill the room. Sirius picked up Hermione and laid her across the front of the broom on her stomach. He jumped on behind her and kicked off from the table. As soon as the broom began to rise, Hermione's head fell towards her feet, as she was draped over the broom. Sirius used his wand to blast the exit slightly larger so he and Hermione could fit through. The pair fit easily through and followed Harry and Ron towards Hogwarts.  
  
%%%%%  
  
"Is she going to be okay?" Ron asked. Professor McGonagall stepped into the space created by the hangings around his bed in the Hospital wing. McGonagall smiled benevolently down at the boy.  
  
"Madame Pomfrey has been able to mend her right up and she'll be perfectly okay," the old professor said. "She's lost a lot of blood, and had some irreversible damage done to her fingers, but she'll live. And I'm sure Mr. Finnegan will be more than ecstatic that you saved his baby sister."  
  
"That was Tallulah Finnegan?" Ron asked. Professor McGonagall nodded.  
  
"Have Harry and Hermione and Sirius come in yet?" Ron questioned.  
  
"Shove over, she's unconscious!" Sirius's voice rang through the previously quiet hospital wing. Ron heard the unmistakable sound of a body being dropped onto a bed. McGonagall turned and rushed from the curtains, leaving them open just wide enough that Ron could see the proceedings from his bed. Sirius had placed Hermione lightly on the bed nearest to the door, across from the bed Tallulah was occupying.  
  
"They hit her with some sort of curse just as we were leaving," Sirius explained. "She's been bleeding and hasn't woken up since, and standard reviving spells won't work."  
  
"Mr. Potter, are you alright?" Madame Pomfrey asked. Harry nodded slowly.  
  
"For once you saved the day and are conscious directly afterwards, I'm impressed," the matron half-joked. As she did, she moved directly past Harry and to Hermione's bed. She carefully rolled the girl over and began a preliminary examination of her.  
  
"Look who I found hiding in a broom closet!" Astrid cried gleefully. "As per Chelsea's instructions. They were right there!" Hannah, Mandy, and Ernie staggered in dizzily after her.  
  
"Hannah!" Harry gasped.  
  
"Harry!" Hannah said, looking up at her boyfriend. She took an unsteady step towards him and fell into her outstretched arms.  
  
"Where's my baby?" Mandy asked, looking around the hospital wing.  
  
"I'm back here!" Ron called from inside his curtains. "Really Madame Pomfrey, now that you've gotten Tallulah patched up, could you move these curtains?" Madame Pomfrey didn't move away from Hermione, but Sirius stepped over to move the curtains from obstructing Ron's view. Mandy was right behind Sirius, and stepped over to the head of Ron's bed.  
  
"Sirius, put those curtains back and everyone else get out of here now," Madame Pomfrey commanded. 


	45. Chapter 45

Okay. I'm really really really really really really really really sorry this has taken so long to get out. I don't know what my problem was. Actually I do. I had a distraction named Drew. But it's all good. Cause he's fantastic.  
  
JKR owns this. Not me.  
  
Um. Review please? And thanks to all of you who have reviewed.  
  
*****  
  
"Harry, Ron, Professor Dumbledore needs to see you in his office before dinner," a small first year called from the door of the common room. Harry and Ron sat on opposite sides of a chessboard in a corner of the common room. Harry leaned back on two legs of his chair with his hands clamped to his forehead and his eyes closed. His scar didn't hurt, but Ron's chess strategies made his eyes cross. Ron sat up straight in his chair ad twirled a pawn mercilessly through his fingers. He surveyed the board carefully before looking over at the first year.  
  
"Did he say what he needs, Charlie?" Ron questioned. Charlie shook his head fiercely.  
  
"No, he just said to send you to his office," Charlie replied.  
  
"Thanks," Harry said, nodding at the first year.  
  
"We'll finish this later," Ron said, pushing away form the table. The front legs on Harry's chair hit the floor with a resounding thud. He reached out and tapped his king twice on its head. The chess piece immediately impaled himself on his own sword.  
  
"No, we won't," Harry replied. "You win." Ron frowned at Harry.  
  
"Not fair," the redhead insisted.  
  
"Ron, you would have beaten me anyway!" Harry said. He slowly stood and stretched with his arms over his head.  
  
"Let's go," Ron said. "Do you think Dumbledore's finally ready to talk about what happened on Saturday?" Ron questioned. Hermione's fire had burned the Three Broomsticks nearly to the ground. Dumbledore had arrived on the scene in just enough time to rescue the bodies from the blaze. Goyle, courtesy of Harry's block of ice, survived and was safely locked up in Azkaban for a life sentence. Ron had received three broken ribs in the fight that warranted a two day stay in the hospital wing. Harry, feeling slight guilt over at least Cho's death, had requested dreamless sleep potion. He, too, spent two days in the hospital wing. By the second day, Little Miss Tallulah Finnegan was awake. She entertained herself and both boys by scrambling from bed to bed, hiding from Madame Pomfrey, and performing an absolutely adorable song and dance in the center of the floor. Tallulah had taken a particular affinity to Ron, going so far as to fall asleep curled by his side on Monday afternoon. Mary Finnegan and her daughters Saoirse and Edana, the pair closest in age to Karey, came to Hogwarts early Tuesday morning to retrieve Tallulah. Hermione lay in the hospital wring, still unconscious. Several times during the previous four days, she began bleeding from her nose, mouth, and once her ears. Madame Pomfrey suspected the spell she had been hit with was much the same as the one Charlie Weasley had fallen victim to at Bill's wedding.  
  
"Password?" Ron asked. He looked over at Harry expectantly. The smaller boy shrugged and looked up at the gargoyle.  
  
"You know, Dumbledore wanted to meet with us, but he didn't tell his messenger the password we would need to get in here. It would be really, really nice if you could just open up and let us in," Harry said. The gargoyle stared stonily back at the boy before sliding back to reveal the stair case. Harry turned to Ron with wide eyes.  
  
"It worked," he whispered, barely believing his own luck.  
  
"Ah, Misters Potter and Weasley, I've been expecting you," Dumbledore said from the top of the staircase.  
  
"It really worked," Ron muttered, smirking at Harry. Harry cast a quick glare at Ron before stepping onto the spiraling stair case to go up to the Headmaster's office. Ron followed Harry closely. At the top of the stairs, Dumbledore opened his office door and held it open allowing the boys to enter. A large squishy couch had appeared in front of Dumbledore's desk since the last time the pair had been in the office, a mere three days beforehand.  
  
"If you'll take a seat," Dumbledore said, indicating to the couch with a sweeping motion of his left hand. The two boys stepped towards the couch. Before they could circle it to take a seat, a familiar head of frizzy brown hair appeared slowly over the back.  
  
"HERMIONE!" Ron screeched. He and Harry scrambled around opposite ends of the couch. They quickly turned to face their friend. She held up both hands to stop the boys from attacking her.  
  
"I'm on temporary leave from the hospital wing, guys," she said. She was very pale and had dark purple circles under both eyes.  
  
"How are you feeling?" Ron asked.  
  
"When did you wake up?" Harry questioned simultaneously. Hermione smiled weakly at the pair.  
  
"I woke up earlier today and I feel as if I've been hit by a truck. Several times," she said.  
  
"By all means, lay back down then," Ron said. "We can sit somewhere else."  
  
"No guys, you can sit," Hermione insisted, leaning back against the couch. Harry carefully took the seat to her right while Ron sat to her left.  
  
"You can at least lean over and prop your feet in Ron's lap," Harry joked. Hermione smiled and nodded.  
  
"You don't mind?" she questioned. Harry shook his head.  
  
"Not at all," he replied. Hermione slowly eased herself over Harry's lap until her head rested on the armrest of the couch. She rolled onto her right side and lifted her feet onto Ron's lap. Harry gently smoothed her hair a couple of times before resting his left arm across the back of the couch. Ron looked surprised at the addition of the feet in his lap but crossed his arms across Hermione's ankles. The trio then looked expectantly at Dumbledore. He smiled benevolently at them and shook his head slightly before taking a seat behind his desk.  
  
"As you know, the ministry has refrained from making a statement thus far," Dumbledore said. Harry ad Ron both nodded.  
  
"I would like to hear your version of the events, then Miss Granger will need to go back to the hospital wing. Mr. Weasley and Mr. Potter, the pair of you will stay here. Mr. and Mrs. Sanguinis, Dr. and Mrs. Chang, Mr. and Mrs. Finnegan, Sirius, and Minister Fudge will be here for a meeting concerning the ministry's very belated official statement. Both of you are expected to attend." Harry looked down at Hermione, expecting her to object to being sent back to the hospital wing. She tucked a couple of stray curls behind her left ear and simply nodded.  
  
"Do we really have to see the Sanguinis and the Chang families?" Harry questioned quietly. Dumbledore nodded and looked stonily at Harry. The twinkle barely showed in his blue eyes.  
  
"Do not feel responsible for what happened to William and Cho. Both made choices and there is nothing you could do to stop them," Dumbledore said.  
  
"But," Harry began. Dumbledore held up a hand and the fifth year fell silent.  
  
"William and Cho made decisions that cost them their lives. You may play the what if game as much as you like, but if will get you nowhere," Dumbledore said. Ron reached over and clapped his best friend on his shoulder. Harry nodded and looked down at Hermione.  
  
"So what I'm here today to do is to ask you to read the official statement Fudge will make and also release to the Daily Prophet," Dumbledore said. He picked up three pieces of parchment from a pile on his desk and floated them towards the three friends. Harry caught his and Hermione's parchment and handed one to her. Ron caught his own and all three began to read.  
  
#########  
  
"Do you see anything that needs to be changed?" Dumbledore asked after allowing the trio a few moments to read.  
  
"You're treating Sanguinis just like another dead student," Ron said.  
  
"He was a Death Eater," Harry added. The look that crossed Dumbledore's face could only be described as a grimace.  
  
"Fudge has determined that Sanguinis wasn't old enough to know what he was doing so he's not allowing William to be portrayed as anything more than a deceased student," he said.  
  
"He stunned Mandy, Hannah, and Ernie and threw them in a closet, arguably purposefully in front of a witness, Chelsea. He then chased the mandrake to the point where she found us. He waited until she had given us enough information to make me suspect one thing that wasn't necessarily true but got the needed reaction out of me before stunning her. If that wasn't enough, he dragged his mostly innocent girlfriend down to the Three Broomsticks where they seemingly incapacitated both Ron and Hermione and dragged them into the proverbial lions' den. Only then did they get killed." Harry paused and took a deep breath. "Forgive me, Professor Dumbledore, if I don't see how Sanguinis is innocent, or didn't know what he was doing." By the time he finished his rant, Harry's face was flushed and his voice had reached a level close to yelling.  
  
"Are you certain about all of that?" Dumbledore asked. Harry nodded gravely.  
  
"Hannah, Mandy and Chelsea all saw him before stunning the fifth years. Nathan Longbottom watched him chase Chelsea almost to the top of the stairs before stunning her," Ron said. Dumbledore nodded and looked at the trio of stone-faced fifth years.  
  
"You've just answered all of my questions concerning what happened before the three of you left the school," Dumbledore said. "How did the fire in the Three Broomsticks get started?"  
  
"I did it," Hermione said from her spot stretched across her best friends. "I started by setting their robes on fire but then they took my wand so I set the roof on fire."  
  
"Without your wand?" Dumbledore questioned. Hermione shrugged and look at the headmaster.  
  
"Yeah, I guess I did," she admitted.  
  
"Have you ever called fire without a wand before?" Dumbledore questioned.  
  
"I've made waterproof fire and I can make fires burn different colors and I've even made fire that burns cloth but not flesh, but never without a wand," Hermione said.  
  
"The ministry disaster control wizards became quite familiar with your waterproof fires. That's evidently the type you used in the pub," Dumbledore said. He set a small figurine on the edge of his desk closets to the friends. "Try to ignite the figure."  
  
"Where's my wand?" Hermione asked.  
  
"It was lost in the fire," Dumbledore admitted. "I want you to try it wandless." Hermione held her hand towards the figure and closed her eyes. A moment later, the figure ignited in a bright purple flame. Dumbledore quickly extinguished the small fire.  
  
"Yes!" cried Harry. Dumbledore looked at the boy with one raised eyebrow.  
  
"Finally someone besides me is doing something weird!" Harry explained. Dumbledore laughed brightly and Hermione even managed a weak giggle.  
  
"So what am I going to do about my wand?" the girl finally ventured to ask.  
  
"I took the liberty of contacting Mr. Ollivander as soon as I figured out what had happened. He sent me this," Dumbledore pulled a long thing box from his desk drawer and floated it towards Hermione.  
  
"Ollivander seemed overly excited about what he called the 'fiery capabilities' of this wand. I think I now understand what he means," Dumbledore explained. Hermione opened the box and lifted a shining dark wand from the purple velvet lining.  
  
"He was certain that the wand would be yours," Ron said. He pointed to the handle end of the wand. Hermione turned it so that she and Harry could both see the very end of the handle. In the tiny circle of wood were three tiny sparkling purple letters. H L G.  
  
"What's so special about this wand?" Hermione questioned.  
  
"It's 11 inches, ash wood, with a dual core," Dumbledore explained.  
  
"Dual core!" Hermione, Harry and Ron chorused.  
  
"Ollivander explained to me that a small number of wands take two cores. Most of these wands are taken by identical twins or witches or wizards with very specialized talents. In your case, your wand is especially good for healing, transfiguration and, as Mr. Ollivander jokingly put it, arson," Dumbledore said.  
  
"So what are the cores?" Hermione questioned.  
  
"Dragon heartstring and phoenix tail feather," Dumbledore answered. "Which makes your wand particularly volatile if anyone besides you were to attempt to use it." Hermione tested the wand in her hand.  
  
"Would I know anyone who has a dual core wand?" she asked.  
  
"One Nymphadora Tonks," Dumbledore said. "Evidently metamorphmagi are another group that uses a dual core wand."  
  
"So I should talk to Tonks about my new wand?" Hermione reiterated. Dumbledore nodded.  
  
"Do my brothers have dual core wands?" Ron questioned.  
  
"Ron, he said identical twins, not one brain with two bodies," Hermione joked. Harry and Dumbledore both laughed appreciatively at the girl. Ron tapped her foot lightly with his right hand.  
  
"You're dating one of those bodies," he reminded her. Hermione shrugged as well as she could, considering she was still stretched across both of her friends.  
  
"I guess I am," she said. "But you're related to both of them."  
  
"Any further questions?" Dumbledore asked, effectively ending Ron and Hermione's budding argument.  
  
"No sir," Harry promptly responded. Ron shook his head no.  
  
"I don't think so," Hermione answered after a moment's consideration.  
  
"Right then. Hermione, if you would like to go back to the hospital wing, everyone else should be arriving shortly for the meeting," Dumbledore said  
  
"I'm certain Madame Pomfrey will be able to collect whatever books from the library you were getting ready to ask about." His blue eyes twinkled merrily at Hermione as Harry helped her sit up.  
  
"Thank you, Professor Dumbledore," Hermione said as she unsteadily got to her feet. Dumbledore pointed his wand at a shelf and it slowly turned sideways, revealing a secret passageway. Hermione smiled at her best friends before stepping into the passage. Dumbledore waved his wand again and the shelf slowly creaked closed behind her.  
  
"Goes straight to a tapestry outside the hospital wing," Dumbledore explained.  
  
"Professor Dumbledore, do you think Mr. and Mrs. Finnegan will bring Tallulah with them?" Ron questioned.  
  
"Mary owled me earlier to request permission to bring Tallulah and her younger brother Brady to the meeting, so Miss Tallulah will be here," Dumbledore replied. Ron broke into a broad smile. "Yes, evidently Miss Tallulah has been asking to see that red-haired boy from Seamus's school." Ron's smiled widened.  
  
"Mandy better watch out," Harry laughed. "Little Tallulah Finnegan is going to try to infringe on her space."  
  
"Speaking of Miss Finnegan," Dumbledore said. The door behind the boys slowly slid open.  
  
"RON!" a small voice cried from the doorway. Ron turned and looked over the back of the couch.  
  
"Tallulah!" He exclaimed. The tiny girl wiggled furiously in her mother's arms. Mary deposited her daughter on the floor. Tallulah smoothed her blue sundress and ran around the edge of the couch to stand directly in front of Ron.  
  
"Hi!" she said, waving at the boy with her left hand. Her pinky and ring finger fell uselessly to her palm, remnant of her time in captivity.  
  
"Hey Tallulah," Ron said. Behind the couch, Frank Finnegan placed his youngest son, Brady on the floor. Brady toddled after Tallulah.  
  
"Lu-Lah!" The boy echoed Ron's statement.  
  
"Ron, this is my little brother Brady," Tallulah said when Brady appeared around the edge of the sofa. The small boy placed an unsteady hand on the edge of the couch and grinned up at Tallulah.  
  
"Uh, hi Brady," Ron said, looking down at the two year old.  
  
"Hi!" Brady squealed.  
  
"Guess what!" Tallulah prompted.  
  
"What?" Ron questioned.  
  
"I might get to see Seamus and Karey after this meeting is over and Saoirse and Edana are jealous because they want to see Karey," Tallulah explained.  
  
"Really?" Ron asked.  
  
"SEE-SHA!" Brady squealed. Ron looked questioningly down at the little boy.  
  
"No Brady," Tallulah scolded. "It's SEEER-SHA!" She looked back up at Ron with wide blue eyes. "That's how he tries to say Saoirse." Ron nodded, not sure exactly what to say to the little girl. Harry issued a snort of laughter from his end of the couch, and Dumbledore's blue eyes sparkled merrily at the interaction between the three-year-old and the fifth year.  
  
"Tallulah," Frank called from the doorway. "That's quite enough, leave the poor boy alone." Tallulah glared at her father over the back of the couch before scrambling up onto the couch and seating herself completely against Ron's right side. Brady pulled his left knee onto the couch and propelled himself onto the cushion in an awkward sort of half roll, half scramble. Then he crawled to Ron's end of the couch and wiggled himself into a seat completely against Tallulah.  
  
"HARRY!" A voice shrieked from somewhere behind the Finnegan's. Harry sprang to his feet and turned to face the door.  
  
"Sirius!" He cried. Frank and Mary stepped out of the way to allow Sirius to bolt through the door. Harry braced himself and Sirius threw his arms around the boy's shoulders, clapping him roughly on his back.  
  
"How are you?" Sirius asked, pushing Harry back away from him.  
  
"I'm alright," Harry said. "You?" He had gotten a long letter from Sirius on Monday detailing exactly how the Death Eaters had captured him and how his time in captivity had been.  
  
"I'm fantastic!" Sirius declared. Harry shook his head at his godfather.  
  
"Good to hear it," Dumbledore said from behind his desk. Harry took two steps back towards the wall and Sirius followed him.  
  
"Sirius!" a tiny voice screeched from just next to Ron.  
  
"Well hello, Tallulah," Sirius looked benevolently over the back of the couch at the tiny girl.  
  
"Why don't you all have seats?" Dumbledore asked. He waved his wand and the couch Ron, Tallulah and Brady sat on slid back towards Harry and Sirius. An identical couch appeared directly across from Dumbledore's desk, and two chairs appeared across from Ron's couch. Frank and Mary stepped towards the chairs and each took a seat.  
  
"We can stand," Sirius said, holding his hand up to Dumbledore to keep the old man from creating more chairs. " The Sanguinises, Changs and Fudge will need seats, and if you make us seats too, there won't be enough room in here." Harry nodded his agreement to his godfather's statement. Dumbledore nodded once and placed his wand on his desk.  
  
"Is this where the meeting is supposed to be held?" a deep male voice asked from the doorway. Dumbledore nodded gravely and pointed to the empty couch.  
  
"Please, Mr. Sanguinis, have a seat," he said. Mr. Sanguinis stepped through the doorway and allowed his wife to step in behind him. Mr. Sanguinis was a tall man, slightly taller than Ron, though more than twice Ron's width. He had thinning blonde hair that was obviously combed over the worst spots on his balding head. He had a large red nose set in the middle of his bright red face, graced by a graying blonde mustache. His blue eyes flashed quickly around the room, seeming to take everything in. He took two steps towards the couch and sank into the seat on the left. His wife slid into the seat next to him, and he dropped a thick arm around her shoulders. She was a tiny mouse of a woman, with nondescript brown hair that reached her chin. Thick bangs fell almost to her grey-green eyes. She sniffed nervously every few seconds and clung to her husband's hand as though her life depended on it.  
  
"Dumbledore, why may I ask, are we meeting in here? My office in London is more convenient and more comfortable," a familiar voice demanded before its body was even visible.  
  
"Cornelius, you know as well as I do that Harry and Ron need to be present for the meeting and taking them off Hogwarts grounds would be more trouble than it took you to come here," Dumbledore replied, adjusting his hat on his long white hair. Fudge finally appeared in the doorway, holding his lime green bowler between two red hands clenched nearly into fists.  
  
"Have a seat, will you?" Dumbledore asked. He nodded towards the empty end of the couch Ron, Tallulah and Brady sat on. Fudge glared at Dumbledore before sitting stiffly on the edge of the couch next to little Brady Finnegan.  
  
"Hu-wo!" Brady said, looking up at Fudge through innocent blue eyes. Fudge ignored the boy and looked steadily at Dumbledore.  
  
"What are we waiting on?" he asked. The older wizard smiled benevolently at the impatient minister before folding his hands in front of him on the desk.  
  
"Well, since the Sanguinises, Finnegans, Ron, Harry, Sirius, and yourself are all here, it seems as though we're waiting on the Changs," Dumbledore replied evenly.  
  
"If they're not here in 10 minutes, I'm leaving," Fudge announced.  
  
"Cornelius! Calm yourself!" Dumbledore said. His steady gaze on the minister didn't break and his voice never wavered. Footsteps sounded on the stairs and Fudge remained silent. A moment later a small Asian man and his wife appeared in the doorway.  
  
"Ah, Dr. and Mrs. Chang. So nice to see you and I'm certainly sorry it couldn't happen under happier circumstances," Dumbledore said, nodding gravely at the pair. Harry was awestruck at how much Cho had looked like her mother. Mrs. Chang's eyes flashed quickly around the room. When they landed on Harry, she froze. Harry attempted to step closer to the wall, but his back was already flat against the paneling. Mrs. Chang closed the space between herself and the teenager in four steps.  
  
"You," she hissed. Her eyes had gone completely cold. Harry swallowed hard, but didn't say anything and didn't break his eyes away from the lady in front of him.  
  
"You killed my Cho!" she cried. Her tiny hand seemed to come from nowhere and her open palm caught Harry's left check. He raised his hand and brushed the stinging spot. The occupants of the office were quiet for a moment before everyone decided to speak at once.  
  
"Well I never," came Frank Finnegan's thick brogue.  
  
"Like mother, like daughter," Sirius muttered. "Where have I heard that."  
  
"Mrs. Chang!" Rebecca Sanguinis sniffed from the couch.  
  
"I can assure you the ministry is placing full blame on a band of renegade Death Eaters." That was Fudge over the crumpled bowler he had crushed in his hands. Mrs. Chang began to wail, which caused Tallulah and Brady to break into their own chorus of sobs. Mary moved to comfort the pair while Ron sprang from his seat. His voice boomed above the rest.  
  
"He damned well did not kill your daughter!" The red-head roared. His face slowly turned the color of his hair. "If anyone besides the wizard who fired the curse is guilty, it's Lucius Malfoy for giving the order and William Sanguinis for dragging her into the mess in the first place!" Rebecca immediately burst into a fresh round of sobs while Mrs. Chang quieted enough to speak.  
  
"Why can he save the little girl and not my baby?" she asked.  
  
"Ron saved me!" Tallulah shouted from behind her tears in her father's arms.  
  
"My daughter could have been more help the war than she'll ever be!" Mrs. Chang screamed, shaking an accusing finger at Tallulah.  
  
"THERE IS NO WAR!" Fudge screeched.  
  
"Your daughter was ruled by passion, not reason," Sirius interjected.  
  
"That's the pot calling the caldron black," Robert Sanguinis muttered.  
  
"Do you think we aren't suffering too?" Mary shouted, stepping towards Mrs. Chang.  
  
"She was dating a bloody DEATH EATER!" Ron bellowed.  
  
"Our Tallulah was missing for two months!" Mary screeched.  
  
"Our Cho is DEAD!" Mrs. Chang wailed.  
  
"Our Laurelai is just as dead, and if what Ron says is true, even more innocent!" Mary shouted. Ron was so busy paying attention to the two ladies that he didn't notice Mr. Sanguinis until the larger man's fist made contact with his jaw. The teenagers jaw hinged sideways and blood spattered from his lower lip towards Frank, Brady, and Tallulah. An animalistic roar of pain erupted from Ron's throat.  
  
"That man hurt Ron!" Tallulah howled. Spots of blood speckled her tiny face. She clenched her small fists and screwed her eyes shut before releasing a shriek that reached the ears of even the people in Hogsmeade. The silver instruments on the shelf began exploding one by one. The glass covering over the portraits of former headmasters and mistresses shattered with a resounding blast, shooting glass shards across the room and showering its occupants. Mr. Sanguinis took the opportunity to crash his fist into Ron's already broken jaw again. Mary Finnegan whipped out her wand and began firing stunners about the room as Dumbledore finally spoke up.  
  
"SCILENCE!" He roared. Everyone froze. Mr. Sanguinis, Mrs. Chang, and Tallulah had all fallen victim to Mary's stunners. The only sound in the room was Rebecca Sanguinis's light sniffles. Dumbledore's eyes had gone the color of cold blue steel. Sirius finally broke the silence.  
  
"What in Merlin's name was that?" He asked as he attempted to staunch the blood flowing from a cut above his right eye he ad received from a flying glass shard.  
  
"That was Lu's none to gentle reminder that you shouldn't hurt Ron Weasley in her presence," Frank said.  
  
"Little Miss Finnegan lost control of her magic," Dumbledore explained. He flicked his wand at Sirius's head and the blood quickly stopped. Mary danced her wand about the room, repairing the damage her daughter's outburst had caused.  
  
"I must commend you, Mrs. Finnegan," Fudge said, "for your quick thinking." Mary shrugged nonchalantly.  
  
"After 10 children, minister, it's something 'm used to. Though usually from Karey, 'Dana, or Tara. Not typically Tallulah." The last of the glass flew back into its frame. Ron mad a noise somewhere between a gurgle, a slurp, and an ill-formed word through his broken jaw from the seat he had taken on the couch.  
  
"Mr. Potter, could you escort Mr. Weasley to the hospital wing?" Dumbledore looked pointedly at Harry. "Sirius can speak for you all, as I don't think it's wise for either of you to be here when Mr. Sanguinis and Mrs. Chang are revived." Harry nodded twice at the headmaster as Ron struggled to his feet.  
  
"I'm sorry boys, I didn't expect things to get this out of hand," the old wizard said. Harry, not trusting himself to refrain from screaming if he spoke, simply nodded again. Ron managed another gurgling noise.  
  
"I'll be by the hospital wing in a bit to see you," Sirius told Harry. The boy responded with another nod.  
  
"I suppose Tu-Lah will want to see you to prove you're okay, so we'll bring her by after the meeting," Mary informed Ron. Ron nodded. Dumbledore waved his wand and the shelf Hermione had disappeared behind slowly slid open. Both Harry and Ron stepped through the doorway, and Dumbledore closed the shelf behind them. Harry hurried down the tunnel with Ron close on his heels. Ron had both hands clasped to his mangled jaw. Harry hadn't trusted himself to speak.  
  
"I can't decide," he finally said, when they were far enough away from the office. "Whether to be angry, sad, or to just not care." His voice was even, not betraying any of the emotions he spoke of except perhaps the last. Ron growled an unintelligible response through his broken jaw. Harry nodded at the noise from Ron.  
  
"You're right, Ron," he said. Blue eyes widened at Harry's response. The smaller boy stepped towards the stone wall. "I think I'll go with the first." With no warning, Harry's right fist smashed into the wall with alarming force. Ron jumped a bit at the sound of flesh meeting stone.  
  
"I DIDN'T kill her!" Harry insisted. His fist crunched into the wall again.  
  
"It was her own bloody fault!" he exclaimed. Another resounding hit against the wall.  
  
"Or Sanguinis!" A wet ripping noise accompanied the hit.  
  
"I can't be blamed every time someone dies or something goes wrong!" He swung again, and crimson blood splattered on the pale grey stone.  
  
"I CAN'T!" Blood trailed down the rock.  
  
"I CAN'T!" Harry screamed. He hit the wall twice more. On the second hit, he leaned into it and collapsed against the wall. His torn right hand ground into the stone while his left arm rested on the wall just at head level. His forehead was buried in his arm just at his elbow. He took two deep shaking breaths.  
  
"I can't," he said one final time at a normal volume level. He exhaled slowly and then pushed away from the wall with his left arm. He eased his still bleeding right fist away from the wall and turned to Ron.  
  
"Right then," he said as though nothing had happened. "I guess we both need the hospital wing now don't we?" He looked down at his pale hand nearly painted with blood and flecked with small chips of stone. He laughed then, almost hollowly, eerily... ruefully. Ron attempted a nod before wincing in pain.  
  
*****  
  
"Madame Pomfrey!" Harry cried when the pair entered the hospital wing.  
  
"Yes, Mr. Potter?" Madame Pomfrey called from her office. Harry hastily hid his hand behind his back.  
  
"Ron needs your assistance! He went and got his jaw broken!" Harry explained.  
  
"Oh Merlin! What happened?" the matron asked. She appeared in the doorway and hurried towards the tall redhead.  
  
"Fix his mouth and I'm sure he'll be happy to tell you," Harry joked. Madame Pomfrey didn't pay attention to him. She was busy herding Ron towards the nearest bed. Harry shrugged and started towards the curtained off bed in the back left corner that had become Hermione's home in the past four nights.  
  
"Hey Hermione, can I come in?" he whispered into the curtains.  
  
"Harry?" Hermione questioned. "Certainly." Harry held back the curtains and stepped into the small enclosure. Hermione sat in the center of her bed, propped up on a stack of pillows. She held her new wand in both hands, looking critically and questioningly at the thin piece of wood.  
  
"What happened to Ron?" Hermione questioned, never looking away from her wand.  
  
"Mr. Sanguinis punched him twice because Mrs. Chang accused me of killing Cho and Ron blamed William," Harry explained. "It pretty well destroyed Ron's jaw." Hermione looked up at Harry through wide hazel eyes. Harry held out his bloody hand to his best friend.  
  
"What did you do?" Hermione questioned.  
  
"Had a little run in with a wall," Harry sheepishly admitted. "Can you quit looking at your new wand and actually try it out to heal my hand?" Harry questioned.  
  
"Oh Harry!" Hermione cried. "I haven't tried any spells with this wand. I'm not sure how smart it would be on either of our parts for me to..."  
  
"Hermione!" Harry cut the babbling girl off by sharply saying her name. She looked up at him. After he held her gaze for a few moments he spoke again.  
  
"I trust you." Hermione exhaled sharply. Harry held his hand closer to her. She took his right hand carefully in her left. Her wand twirled skillfully through her right hand until the tip came to rest on the first cut on Harry's hand. She began muttering spells and soon enough, Harry's hand was as good as new,  
  
"Thanks, Hermione," Harry said, experimentally clenching his fist several times. She slid over in her bed and patted the mattress just next to her.  
  
"Sit," she urged, rolling back the covers. Harry kicked off his shoes and let his robes buddle around them. Under his robes he wore a white button down shirt and dark heather grey slacks. His tie and vest had been abandoned in his room after class. He carefully crawled into the bed next to Hermione. She tossed the sheet and quilt over his legs and he leaned back against the pile of pillows.  
  
"What are you thinking?" Hermione asked after a moment.  
  
"Honestly?" Harry questioned. Hermione nodded.  
  
"That if Mrs. Chang were to meet Voldemort, I'm not sure who would win," Harry said. "She hits really hard."  
  
"She hit you?" Hermione questioned. She laced her hand into his. Harry nodded.  
  
"She slapped me because I killed her daughter," Harry explained. Hermione squeezed his hand lightly.  
  
"You didn't kill Cho," Hermione whispered. "You didn't. Don't even play the what if game."  
  
"Bloody hell!" Ron exclaimed through clenched teeth. He tossed a curtain back and stepped inside. "This has just been my term! I've broken my nose, three ribs and my jaw."  
  
"Actually," Harry said, looking up at his friend from the bed. "You've had all three broken for you."  
  
"I think I win though," Hermione announced with a laugh. "I was unconscious for four days!" Harry rolled his eyes.  
  
"I think it's a record. I finally managed to make it through an adventure uninjured!" he laughed.  
  
"Budge up," Ron said, stepping towards Hermione's side of the bed. Hermione moved towards Harry and rolled the cover on the other side of the bed back. Ron dropped his robe onto his shoes in the floor and slid into bed next to his friends. "She said find a bed."  
  
"Didn't specify unoccupied?" Harry questioned. Ron shrugged.  
  
"I'd smile innocently, but that kinda hurts right now," he said. Hermione quickly tossed the covers over Ron's legs too.  
  
"Madame Pomfrey," Dumbledore's voice sounded from the door to the hospital wing. "Where are Mr. Weasley, Mr. Potter, and Miss Granger?"  
  
"Miss Granger is back in the corner where she's been all week, and Mr. Potter is visiting her. I told Mr. Weasley to make himself comfortable in a bed," Madame Pomfrey replied from her office. The trio heard footsteps heading towards the curtains. Before any one of them could speak, one of the curtains near the foot of the bed folded back to reveal their Headmaster with Tallulah in his arms.  
  
"A bed, Mr. Weasley?" Professor Dumbledore questioned "I think perhaps Madame Pomfrey meant an unoccupied one." Ron shrugged and motioned to get up.  
  
"No, stay," Dumbledore insisted, "I think the three of you might need the closeness for now."  
  
"Hello, Ron," Tallulah said, waving from Dumbledore's arms.  
  
"Hi Lu," Ron muttered.  
  
"We're even," the little girl announced. Ron raised his eyebrows at her.  
  
"You are?" Harry questioned. Tallulah nodded gravely, blonde curls falling into her eyes. She pushed them away with a chubby hand.  
  
"Ron saved me from the bad men in the black robes with no faces, and I made things splode on the man that hit him," Tallulah explained. Hermione, Harry and Dumbledore all laughed at the little girl's logic, while Ron smiled benevolently at her. She wiggled furiously and Dumbledore deposited her on the end of the bed. She scrambled to the head and jumped under the covers between Ron and Hermione.  
  
"Does your mouth hurt?" she asked, looking up at Ron. Ron nodded.  
  
"A bit," he admitted. She stretched up and dropped a quick kiss on his cheek.  
  
"There, I've made it better," she announced. Ron forced a smile down at her.  
  
"Oooh, no more smiling Ron," Hermione laughed. "You might scare Tallulah."  
  
"No," Tallulah said. "I'm not scared of Ron. He saved me." Hermione reached over and tousled the little girl's hair.  
  
"Hermione and Ron, you two may stay in the hospital wing during dinner. I am going to address the rest of the students during dinner to discuss what happened last Saturday, and hold moments of silence for both Cho and William," Dumbledore said. "Mr. Potter, how is your hand?"  
  
"My hand?" Harry asked.  
  
"Your hand," Dumbledore said. "Next time when you decide to attack the wall outside my office, clean the blood off the stone if you don't want me to know." Harry paled and inched farther under the cover. Hermione tightened her grip on his hand.  
  
"Sorry," Harry squeaked. "But it's fine. Hermione healed it."  
  
"Okay. Mr. Potter, I do believe it would do you good to stay here with your friends if you would like. I will send Mr. Weasley, Miss Abbott and Miss Brocklehurst up here to see the three of you after dinner if you'd like." The three fifth years nodded.  
  
"Well then, boys, you're to go back to your common room sometime before curfew. Hermione, Madame Pomfrey said you'd be out in time to sit for O.W.L.'s. Tallulah, you've seen Ron. I suspect your parents are through visiting with Karey and Seamus, so we should take you back."  
  
"Okay, Mr. Dumbledore!" Tallulah said. She scrambled to her feet and patted Ron twice on his head.  
  
"Bye Ron," she said.  
  
"Bye Lu," Ron muttered.  
  
"Bye Harry and Harry and Ron's friend with the hard-to-say name," Tallulah said.  
  
"Bye Tallulah," Harry and Hermione chorused. The three-year-old ran to the other end of the bed and bounced twice before springing into Dumbledore's arms.  
  
"Right then. I will see you three later." Dumbledore pulled out his wand and waved it at the bed, before turning with Tallulah and leaving the enclosing.  
  
"What was that?" Ron questioned. Harry slid towards the edge of the bed.  
  
"I do believe he gave us a bit more room," Harry laughed. Ron slid towards his edge.  
  
"Yep," he said.  
  
"Hermione, I'm glad you're awake," Harry said when they heard the door close behind Dumbledore and Tallulah. Ron nodded his agreement.  
  
"I'm glad I am too," Hermione agreed. "We've got O.W.L.'s to study for." 


	46. Chapter 46

So I've finally updated.  
  
I don't own this, JKR does. There are a few obligatory Buffy references. Blame Nat.  
  
But don't hate her, because we love her for betaing this.  
  
I'm sorry it took so long. Blame Drew, again.  
  
I love reviews. And my reviewers. Please review.  
  
So this is the second to last chapter of the story, I think. The next chapter will have instructions on where to go for the sequel(s). Look for that.  
  
I think this is all for now  
  
*****  
  
"Expecto Patronum will create a patronus which wards off dementors. The three Unforgivable curses are the Avada Kedavra, also known as the killing curse, the Cruciatus, and the Imperius. The killing curse causes instant death upon hitting its intended target. The only person known to have survived the killing curse is Harry Potter. This happened on October 31, 1981 and only after his parents, James and Lily Potter had fallen victim to the curse as cast by Lord You-Know-Who."  
  
"HERMIONE!" Harry cried. The girl paused in her recitation and looked at the boy.  
  
"Who is your best friend?" Harry questioned. Hermione rubbed her eyes with the back of her right hand before blinking twice at the boy.  
  
"You and Ron," she finally replied.  
  
"And what's my name?" Harry asked.  
  
"Harry Potter," Hermione replied. She glanced down nervously at her parchment.  
  
"Yeah, I think I know my personal history," Harry laughed. "Rant about something else that will do us all some good." Hermione nodded furiously and looked back to her parchment.  
  
"The Cruciatus curse causes intense pain in its victims. English settlers first used it in early America to help the English move the Native Americans from the land. The Imperius causes the victim to come under complete control of the spell's caster. Of the three Unforgivables, this is the only one that can be fought by the victim, though fighting the curse takes extreme mind control."  
  
"Hey wait," Harry interrupted again.  
  
"What now?" Hermione questioned.  
  
"I win," Harry announced.  
  
"You win?" Ron questioned, quirking an eyebrow at his friend.  
  
"Yep. I've been subjected to all three and am still here to tell about it!" Harry said with a smile. "I win." He rolled over on his back and looked up at his friends from his position on the floor in front of the fire. Ron lay on the couch staring at the ceiling, and Hermione paced behind one of the armchairs. Her parchment rested on the back of the chair, so if she didn't pace too far, she could still read to the boys.  
  
"Do you think you're ready? I think we should go ahead down so we can get good seats," Hermione said, sliding her notes back into a thick stack of parchment.  
  
"I'm as ready as I'll ever be," Ron announced. He slowly sat up and lowered his feet to the floor, stretching his arms over his head as he did.  
  
"Let's go kick some O.W.L.'s arse!" Harry cried, springing to his feet.  
  
"Do you both have your wands and your number two quills and ink?" Hermione questioned. She pulled a thin elastic from her wrist and quickly twisted her hair into a thick ponytail at the base of her neck.  
  
"Check, Check and check!" Harry declared.  
  
"Harry man, calm yourself!" Ron said. "We're getting ready to take a test, not play quidditch or snog our girlfriends."  
  
"But Ron, it's our defense O.W.L. If we have a chance of passing any of them, it's this one!" Harry declared. He started towards the portrait hole with an odd spring to his step.  
  
"Ron, have you been practicing your cheering charms again?" Hermione questioned. She tossed her bag over her shoulder and started after Harry. Ron stumbled to his feet and followed Hermione.  
  
"Charms isn't until Friday. I suspect I'll start practicing on Thursday. Wednesday night if you're lucky," Ron said.  
  
"RON!" Hermione screeched. Ron shrugged sheepishly.  
  
"If I study too early, I'll forget," he admitted. Hermione shook her head and crawled through the portrait hole.  
  
*****  
  
"WAIT WAIT WAIT!" Justin cried. He trailed behind Hannah and Ernie as the Hufflepuff trip made their way towards the great hall.  
  
"What now, Finch-Fletchley?" Ernie snapped.  
  
"Which curses are most effective on kappas versus hinkypunks versus grindylows and why the hell are they studied in Defense Against the Dark Arts and not Care of Magical Creatures?" Justin asked.  
  
"Do you really wanna keep a Red Cap as a pet?" Ernie questioned.  
  
"What's a Red Cap?" Justin wailed.  
  
"Justin, stop worrying!" Hannah insisted. "It's not going to be that bad!"  
  
"Easy for you to say," Justin muttered. "You and your best friend are shagging the Defense Against the Dark Arts poster boy and his side kick of a best friend."  
  
"JUSTIN!" Hannah screeched. "Harry and I are not shagging!" Justin looked at his best female friend through wide eyes before turning on his heel and stomping towards the other end of the hall. When he was a significant distance from Hannah and Ernie, he tossed his hands over his head and shrieked loudly.  
  
*****  
  
"PADMA!! MORAG!!!" Mandy screeched. She tumbled out of the fifth year girls' dorm room and into the stiff, navy, royal, and bronze Ravenclaw common room.  
  
"SSSSSHHHHHHHH!" Hissed the collection of people gathered around studying.  
  
"Shove off," Mandy told them. "Now tell me where Padma and Morag are!" A tiny first year jerked his left thumb over his shoulder, pointing to the far wall.  
  
"PADMA AND MORAG!" Mandy cried.  
  
"BROCKLEHURST!" Ryan Kern shouted from the opposite corner. "If you don't shut your mouth, I'm taking off points."  
  
"Gee, head boy! I'd care if I wasn't about to fail my Defense O.W.L. and if we hadn't already lost to Gryffindor and Slytherin by nearly 200 points," Mandy replied.  
  
"Brocklehurst," Ryan warned. Mandy scrambled around a couch in the corner and plopped herself directly between its two occupants. She crossed her right leg over her left knee and placed her right hand on her right knee.  
  
"So tell me ladies," she said, placing the heel of her left hand on her right wrist and lacing her fingers down through each other. "What is the incantation for the Invisible Bonds Charm? Because I know with a fair amount of certainty that it isn't ego amo Ron Weasley."  
  
*****  
  
The large iron chandelier in the middle of the common room swung wildly, almost hitting the ceiling on either side. The candles had fallen out of their holders and crashed onto the chairs below, showering Keiran and Theodore with bits of wax and entire candles. The reason for the chandelier's wild flight hung heavily to one side in the form of one Blaise Zabini. The back of his robes was caught on the edge of the chandelier and he hung limply towards the ground. Anyone else in his predicament would have been screaming their head off, but not Blaise. No, not Blaise. Simply because Blaise didn't have a mouth.  
  
Millicent stood in one corner with both hands and her forehead against the wall. She leaned heavily on her hands, and closer inspection of her legs revealed that they were bending towards the wall. She stood with her left leg straight, and her right leg bent at a 90 degree angle at the knee, resting on the wall a meter below her hands.  
  
Pansy sat against one couch. Her feet were drawn towards her and her elbows rested on her knees. In her hands she held long strands of blonde hair. Her hair that had ended just above her waist a mere 20 minutes before. Now the first layer ended just at her chin and the second just below her ears.  
  
Crabbe and Goyle stood in a corner near Millicent. Crabbe was perfectly still and resting in the corner, unable to move. His eyes rolled wildly in their sockets, showing that he'd fallen victim to a body bind. Goyle leaned against the wall next to Crabbe. His legs barely supported his portentous bulk. They wobbled back and forth, and Goyle only remained upright because he had braced himself against the wall and Crabbe.  
  
Taylor lay unconscious in a pile relatively near Pansy and the couch. Her tongue lolled out of her mouth, but it looked like no human tongue should. It had turned a sickly green shade with grayish-olive scales. The tip was honed to a fine point, giving her tongue the appearance of horn.  
  
Karen lay next to Taylor, glaring stonily upwards. She had thin, willowy plants sprouting from her ears. They hung down nearly to her elbows. She, like Blaise, lacked a mouth and, unlike Blaise, her left eye was frozen in a crossed position.  
  
Draco stood in the middle of the floor, surrounded by his fallen classmates. He twirled his wand skillfully through his fingers and looked at the chaos. He ran his hand over his hair and finally spoke.  
  
"Who's next? I'm not done practicing," he said.  
  
"This isn't practice," Pansy muttered from her seat on the floor.  
  
"Sure it is," Draco replied. "I've practiced the Dark Arts, and it looks like the rest of you are going to fail. Your defense stinks worse than Warrington. Now then, who's next? I've got more to practice."  
  
"So do I," Pansy muttered, glaring up at Draco. "It's called the Castration Curse."  
  
*****  
  
In 1000 words or less explain how Harry Potter killed Voldemort.  
  
Harry had to hold in a laugh as he read the essay question. He gripped his quill tighter and touched the tip to the parchment. He quickly wrote "he didn't die," and leaned back in his chair.  
  
"That's less than 1000 words," he laughed to himself.  
  
%%%%%  
  
If faced with a dementor, what would you do to save yourself?  
  
The quill trembled in Goyle's fist and he dragged his other pudgy hand across his sweaty forehead. He finally settled on an answer and slammed the tip of the quill to the test parchment. The sharp point dug a small hole in the test sheet before he began writing, "Throw Vince in its way, run, and hope Drayco no's the incan incu spell to make it go away."  
  
%%%%%  
  
What is the proper way to subdue a full grown Mountain Troll?  
  
Ron pushed his hair back from his forehead and smirked down at his test book. He picked up his quill and began to write.  
  
"In my experience, the best way to subdue a Mountain Troll is to stuff something approximately the size of a wand up the animals left nostril. While the troll is busy trying to clear out his nose, take the opportunity to levitate something large and heavy over the trolls head and allow it to crash down. This should effectively knock the troll unconscious, If this doesn't work for you, my only advice is then to run."  
  
%%%%%  
  
Discuss briefly the proper steps to take to banish a boggart.  
  
"First, you should approach the boggart with a large group of people. This confuses the boggart and it doesn't know what to turn into. When it was my turn to face the boggart, I'd wait until the boggart turned into my biggest fear. Then I would imagine the Professor- Snape-like boggart wearing my grandmother's clothes and say "Riddikulus!" After enough people did this, the boggart would be reduced to a silver mist, effectively banishing the boggart.  
  
%%%%%  
  
Explain the difference between kappas, Red Caps, grindylows, and hinkypunks and the best spells to use in controlling each.  
  
Justin slammed his quill down on his paper and sprung to his feet. He hurried out of the Great Hall and into the entrance hall. Every fifth year in Hogwarts heard the scream he released.  
  
%%%%%  
"I didn't think that was nearly as bad as it could have been," Hermione said. She quickly took another bite of crumpet and looked imploringly across the table at Ron and Harry.  
  
"246 multiple choice questions, 56 matching, 127 true or false, 25 short answer and five essays and it wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been, she says," Ron muttered, glaring at Harry.  
  
"I thought there were 248 multiple choice," Harry replied, smirking at his friend.  
  
"249, actually," Hermione corrected. Both boys glared at her. She shrugged. "We've still got the practical to take."  
  
"SSHHHHHH!" Harry and Ron hissed. "Let's not talk about that," Harry added.  
  
"What spells do you think will be tested on the practical?" Hermione ignored her friends.  
  
"This one," Ron muttered, pulling out his wand. He pointed it at Hermione and whispered, "Silencio."  
  
%%%%%  
  
"Good news!" Pansy announced, sliding into her seat next to Draco at the Slytherin table.  
  
"What?" Draco asked.  
  
"Four different boys have commented on my new haircut and another two have asked if they could owl me over the summer, and none of them have been gross," Pansy said.  
  
"What does that have to do with anything?" Draco questioned.  
  
"It means I'm not going to have to castrate you after all," Pansy replied.  
  
%%%%%  
  
"Come on Madame Pomfrey! You've got to let Justin come with us!" Hannah whined. She tucked a strand of honey blonde hair behind her ear and looked earnestly up at the hospital matron.  
  
"He really does probably need to take the practical section of his Defense O.W.L." Ernie reasoned. Madame Pomfrey stood in front of the pair of Hufflepuffs and Mandy, blocking their entrance to the hospital wing. She stared down at the trio through round glasses with an amused look on her face.  
  
"He's not really crazy!" Hannah insisted. "There was just this question that reminded him of Mandy and."  
  
"HANNAH!" Mandy screeched.  
  
"Eew," Ernie muttered under his breath. Hannah clamped her hand over her mouth and turned wide blue eyes back to her friends.  
  
"I'm quiet now," she whispered.  
  
%%%%%  
  
"Alright," Professor Dumbledore said. He stood at the doors to the great hall facing an entrance hall filled with anxious fifth years. He raised both of his hands a small distance above his head and the nervous chatter quieted. "You will begin the practical section of your Defense O.W.L. very shortly. The Board of Education and Testing has prepared a very interesting practical for you all."  
  
"Interesting?" Draco snorted from the back of the crowd. He sat on the left side on the bottom of the main staircase's banister. "Pardon me, Professor Dumbledore, but I think you underestimate all of our stamina for academia, except for perhaps Granger's."  
  
"Thank you Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore nodded at the blonde prefect. "But anyway, the practical will consist of a set of 36 stations. You will enter one at a time and spend five minutes at each station before continuing on to the next. For each station, you will perform one skill we've learned in class. Some of these will require you to perform the skill multiple times so that the tester will see that you are proficient. The 36th station will be an extra credit skill that we only briefly studied in class. So I ask, are you ready for the exam?"  
  
"Yes," a few people chorused. That group consisted of mostly Ravenclaws. Most of the other students nodded. Neville and Justin both trembled slightly, neither admitting readiness.  
  
"Alright then. The name of the person whose turn it is to enter will appear above the door. Hannah Abbott, you're up first! Good luck!" Dumbledore said. He turned and disappeared through the door into the Great Hall.  
  
"Good luck," Harry echoed. He brushed a kiss on Hannah's cheek and she turned and followed Dumbledore.  
  
"I've thought of one I didn't practice!" Draco announced from his perch on the banister. "Any volunteers?"  
  
"NO!" chorused the Slytherins.  
  
%%%%%  
  
"I am going to release a creature momentarily. The speed and effectiveness of how you deal with it will determine your score on this station. Are you ready?" a short witch with curly graying-brown hair asked Hannah. Hannah nodded slightly and held her wand out in front of her. The witch reached behind her and flipped the clasp on a glass case. A moment later, an electric blue Cornish Pixie zoomed into view.  
  
%%%%%  
  
"What exactly do you want, Hermione?" Ron questioned. Hermione gave Ron's sleeve one more vicious tug before looking up at him. She had been pulling at his sleeve relentlessly for the previous few minutes. When Ron's eyes met hers, she began pointing furiously at her mouth.  
  
"Oh, right," Ron laughed, pulling his wand from his pocket. "You need your voice back."  
  
%%%%%  
  
The tiny blue pixie fluttered into view. Draco watched it for a moment before his seeker's reflexes kicked in. With one quick motion, his hand shot out and he caught the small creature tight in his left hand. He grasped its feet in his right and quickly let go of the pixie with his left. Before the pixie could react to being suddenly mostly free, Draco transferred it to his left hand and swung it towards the partition dividing the first station from the second. The pixie cracked into the partition with a satisfying thwack. Draco swung it twice more before the creature fell suitably limp. He dangled it by its feet and held it towards the test proctor.  
  
"Here you go," he said. "How did I do?"  
  
"No points, Mr. Malfoy," the lady replied.  
  
"No points!" Draco screeched. "What do you mean no points?"  
  
"No points," the lady repeated. "You didn't use magic."  
  
"You never said I had to use magic," Draco objected, brandishing the unconscious pixie at the woman. "You said to deal with the creature quickly and effectively, which I did." The witch shrugged.  
  
"I followed the directions explicitly! If you think you're going to get away with not giving me any points on this section, I do believe you have another think coming."  
  
"Are you threatening me, Mr. Malfoy?" the witch asked.  
  
"No, I'm inviting you to tea tomorrow afternoon," Draco deadpanned. "What does it sound like? Of course I'm threatening you! If you don't give me points just because you can't write directions, I'll have Lucius Malfoy to the Board of Education office faster than Longbottom can screw up a potion."  
  
"Well, let me consult the guideline book momentarily to see what it says about the non-use of magic," the witch pulled a thick book off the table behind her and flipped it to a section near the front. She produced a pair of thin reading glasses from her pocket and held them to her face. Draco, still holding the pixie, crossed his arms across his chest and glared at the woman as she looked.  
  
"Alright Mr. Malfoy, it says nothing about what specific spells you are to use, and in fact suggests giving extra points for creativity. As you were the fastest, most efficient and most creative student of the day, I suppose you get full points plus two." The bell rang signaling a station change. Draco headed out of the enclosure.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy," the witch called. He paused and turned to look at her. "May I have my pixie back?"  
  
%%%%%  
  
Neville stepped into the enclosure and faced a tall man with thinning blonde hair. Without warning, the man pulled a wand and muttered "Stupefy." Neville's blue eyes opened wider and the spell struck him in the center of his chest. He crumpled to the ground in an unconscious heap.  
  
%%%%%  
  
"The object is to drink the potion that will allow you to walk through the fire without being burned," a short witch who looked startlingly like Professor Sprout told Hermione. She handed the young witch a thin scrap of parchment. Hermione studied the line of seven bottles on the table before her. All were different sizes and shapes. A fire sprang up behind the table with a great gust of wind. Hermione shook her head and looked at the paper. It contained a poem of sorts. She quickly scanned over it.  
  
Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind, Two of us will help you, whichever you would find One among us seven will let you move ahead, Another will transport the drinker back instead, Two among our number hold only nettle wine, Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line. Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore, To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four: First however slyly the poison tries to hide You will always find some on nettle wine's left side; But if you would move onwards, neither is your friend; Third, as you see clearly, all are different size Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides; Fourth, the second left and the second on the right Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight.  
  
Hermione shook her head at the paper and chuckled loudly.  
  
"Is their something you find funny Miss Granger?" the witch asked. Hermione shrugged and reached for the bottle third from the left. She flipped the stopper off with her thumb and threw back the contents of the bottle. She swallowed and wiped her mouth off dramatically with the sleeve of her robe. The witch's mouth dropped open as she watched the teenager step confidently around the table and through the fire.  
  
"How was that?" Hermione questioned.  
  
"Brilliant! How did you do that?" the witch asked. Hermione shrugged.  
  
"Encountered and solved the same problem as a first year," the girl laughed.  
  
"Well I don't think that's quite fair to the other students, so I'm going to have to ask you to walk through the fire another way," the witch said, peering down her nose at Hermione. Hermione shrugged and pulled out her wand. She cast a quick fireproofing spell on herself and her robe and stepped back through the roaring flames.  
  
"Did that work?" Hermione questioned. The witch looked at Hermione, dumbfounded.  
  
"What about this one?" Hermione motioned to the fire with her wand. It instantly split into two smaller fires and she stepped between them. "Is that suitable?"  
  
%%%%%  
"STUPEFY!" the tall blonde man roared. Harry quickly muttered a shield charm and watched the spell bounce off the shimmering translucent blue shield. The stunner struck its caster right in his chest and the man crumpled to the ground. Harry quickly let down his shield charm and stepped over to the man. He revived him and helped him sit up.  
  
"How was that?" Harry questioned.  
  
"What happened," the man replied.  
  
"Your stunner bounced off my shield and knocked you out," Harry explained. The man shook his head.  
  
"Ducking would have worked just as well."  
  
%%%%%  
  
"Bloody hell!" Ron screeched. "I hardly think this is fair." He looked up from the poem and over to the witch standing next to the fire and the table.  
  
"Why not?" the witch asked.  
  
"Because I was out cold when Harry and Hermione solved this one," he muttered.  
  
%%%%%  
  
"Stupefy!" the tall blonde man shouted. Draco immediately crumpled to the floor into a shapeless heap. The spell whistled harmlessly over his head. The man stepped towards him to revive him. Draco sprang up, wand in hand, and released a string of curses that left the man hanging by his robes against the back of the partition with no mouth and angry boils popping up across his skin.  
  
"Now then, if you promise not to try that again, I'll let you down. If not, I'll have to practice a spell my good friend Pansy taught me this morning." The man nodded vigorously.  
  
"You won't try it again?" Draco questioned. The man shook his head. Draco quickly muttered the counter spells and the man dropped to the floor.  
  
"Did you just threaten me, Mr. Malfoy?" the man asked.  
  
"No, I invited you to the tea I'm having with the bint from the first station."  
  
%%%%%  
  
"I'm sorry Mr. Finch-Fletchley, I won't be able to give you any points for this station. You were supposed to subdue the Red Cap, not have a staring contest with him," a tall thin witch with curly black hair said. Justin jumped to his feet and faced the witch.  
  
"Thank you," he said, and held his hand out, exchanging a professional handshake with the woman. The Red Cap growled from where it stood about a meter away, causing Justin to jump and run for the exit.  
  
%%%%%  
  
Draco looked up from the piece of parchment and reached for a bottle on the table. He came away with the second one from the left. He quickly drank the contents and looked straight at the witch. He moved his left shoulder towards his ear in a quick jerking motion, twice, before clasping his hands about his neck and releasing an awful noise that sounded something like a cough, a hack, and a sneeze all at once.  
  
"That can't be right!" the witch muttered. She stepped towards the table and began examining the bottles. Draco slowly sank to the floor, coughed twice loudly, and let a violent shudder run through his body. The witch picked up the bottle on the extreme left, the middle bottle, and the bottle to the immediate right of the middle.  
  
"These were supposed to be the poison!" she insisted. Draco jumped to his feet and smiled smirked at the witch.  
  
"Thank you!" he said, and grabbed the smallest of the bottles on the table. He quickly drank its contents and stepped through the fire.  
  
%%%%%  
  
"I'm sinking!" Lavender announced. She looked from the mud on the floor that she stood knee-deep in to the tall African-American wizard standing near the entrance to the partition.  
  
"Astute observation Miss Brown. Your objective is to get to that end of the station before the five minutes is up," the man said. He pointed to the other end of the station, almost 15 meters away. Lavender smiled sweetly at the man.  
  
"Is there any way we can talk about this?" she asked. "Cause I'd rather not have to do this."  
  
"No discussion Miss Brown, and I'd suggest you start moving before you sink all of the way and won't be able to get out," the man said.  
  
"Fine then," Lavender huffed. She flopped directly backwards into the mud and began propelling herself to the other end of the enclosure with her feet. Two minutes later she stood up and waved at the man.  
  
"How was that?" she questioned.  
  
"Not the way I would have done it, but full points for creativity," the man replied.  
  
"Hurrah for Stick Girl!" Lavender laughed.  
  
%%%%%  
  
"Mr. Malfoy, you will be faced with one of the most feared dark creatures in the wizarding world momentarily. If you feel you cannot deal with it, kindly step out of the enclosure so that we may subdue it for the next person," a tall red haired wizard said. An equally tall blonde man stood next to a tall steel case. Draco nodded.  
  
"I guess I'm ready," he said.  
  
"Good then," the man said. The blonde wizard reached for the door of the case. Draco readied his wand, training it at the case. The door of the case fell open and a dementor streamed out with a liquid grace that only the not quite human are capable of. Instantly Draco's veins ran with ice water. He mustered the happiest thought he could think of.  
  
"Little Bear," his own voice echoed in his ears and he tried to shake the image of Barrett's dead body cradled in his own arms out of his mind.  
  
"Do it again!" Keiran's cool, calculating voice paired with the thought of his house mates in various states of distress, scattered around the common room mere hours earlier chased the thoughts of his baby sister out of his head.  
  
"Expecto Patronum!" He roared. A shimmering, silvery bear cub tumbled and somersaulted from the end of his wand. It loped easily over to the dementor and slammed the creature back into its case before slowly dissipating.  
  
"Stunning, Mr. Malfoy, Absolutely stunning!" the red haired wizard said, extending a piece of chocolate to Draco. Draco smirked at the man before taking the chocolate and popping it into his mouth.  
  
%%%%%  
  
"Did your patronus work?" Hermione questioned. She looked up at the two boys as the trio walked back to the common room after dinner. Harry nodded while Ron shook his head.  
  
"It was still a little blue car. The dementor ran it over in about half a second," Ron replied.  
  
"Mine worked," Harry announced.  
  
"Yours has worked since third year," Ron spat, glaring over at his friend.  
  
"So what do we have tomorrow, we should start studying!" Harry exclaimed, mostly to avoid fighting with his best friend.  
  
"We have potions practical and written, history of magic written, and you guys have divination while I have ancient runes," Hermione explained. "I think I'm going to start studying for ancient runes first, so you guys can study for divination." Harry and Ron exchanged an incredulous look over Hermione's head.  
  
"Study?" Ron questioned. "For divination?"  
  
"History of Magic will be more helpful for our divination exam," Harry agreed.  
  
"How, may I ask, will History of Magic help?" Hermione questioned.  
  
"New and inventive ways to die," Harry and Ron chorused.  
  
%%%%%  
  
"Wait wait wait!" Ernie cried. He jumped to his feet and pushed his hair back off of his forehead.  
  
"What now, McMillian?" Hannah questioned.  
  
"Careless or Carefree! What did Hermione say it was?" Ernie asked.  
  
"What are you on about?" Justin queried.  
  
"The Nigel guy and the goblin rebellion," Ernie said. "What did Hermione say it was? Carless or Carefree?"  
  
"Ernie, you must remember that Justin was studying the backs of his eyelids during that study session," Hannah said.  
  
"Well you were studying Harry's bum," Justin interjected.  
  
"So?" Hannah asked.  
  
"That's different from any other time the two of them are together?" Ernie questioned.  
  
"Shove it, McMillian!" Hannah insisted.  
  
"Why don't you make me, Abbott," Ernie spat.  
  
"Fine then, I will!" Hannah cried. She sprang to her feet and stepped onto the couch she had just been sitting on.  
  
"Bring it on!" Ernie said from his spot on the floor. Hannah bounced twice before diving off the couch onto Ernie.  
  
*****  
  
"Wow Ernie!" Astrid squealed. The Hufflepuff trio and Mandy stepped up to the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall just in time for breakfast to appear on the plates.  
  
"What happened to you?" Sawyer asked.  
  
"Potter, you seriously need to do something to control that girlfriend of yours," Ernie said, ignoring and answering the first years at the same time. He ran his fingers over his slightly swollen right eye and looked down at the raven haired fifth year.  
  
"Did she do that to you?" Harry questioned, looking up at Ernie's eye.  
  
"Yes," Ernie said.  
  
"Go HANNAH!" Harry and Ron chorused.  
  
"Tell them what you did to deserve it," Justin prompted.  
  
"What'd you do, McMillan?" Ron questioned.  
  
"I told her to make me shut up," Ernie muttered.  
  
"Looks like she did," Sawyer muttered.  
  
"But anyway," Ernie said, shaking his head at everyone gathered around. "We're here because we have a potions O.W.L. in less than an hour and I need some last minute studying."  
  
"Me too," Mandy added. The Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw looked imploringly down at Hermione.  
  
"What do you feel shaky on?" Hermione questioned.  
  
"The properties of natural minerals in potions for healing," Mandy said.  
  
"The chart!" Hermione insisted.  
  
"What chart?" The Hufflepuffs and Mandy chorused.  
  
"The one where we had to write six inches about every mineral," Hermione prompted.  
  
"We didn't do that," Justin said.  
  
"You didn't," Hermione shrieked. She reached for her bag and pulled a thick roll of parchment form within its depths.  
  
"Yeah, Hermione, I think you have to thank me and Harry for that," Ron laughed. Hermione passed the roll to Justin. He unrolled it and held it so Ernie and Mandy could also look at it.  
  
"I actually think I understand minerals," Hannah said. "I studied them during my last special potions class.  
  
"Hey!" Sawyer cried.  
  
"REMEDIAL!" He and Jason chorused.  
  
%%%%%  
  
"For your potions practical, you will find instructions for your potion in front of you on the table. Thirty ingredients are provided on your table. None of these ingredients are labeled. You will have to choose the ten out of the thirty that are required for your potion. After your potion is prepared, you will have the remainder of the time until noon to complete your potions written exam. You will then return just before dinner tonight to finish your practical exam," a short wizard with no hair explained from the front of the Great Hall. "If there are no questions, you may begin."  
  
Hermione looked down at the list of ingredients on the table in front of her. She wasn't sure exactly what the potion was supposed to be, but she grabbed a bottle of ladybugs, pulled the stopper out, dumped a liberal amount of the insects into a dish and began grinding the bugs into a fine powder.  
  
%%%%%  
  
Crabbe looked at the list of ingredients in his hand. He blinked his pig-like eyes twice at the list and then looked at the row of bottles on the table in front of him. A spark of an idea flickered through his tiny brain. He began removing tops and stoppers from all of the bottles. When all of the tops were removed, he began pouring ingredients into his cauldron. Twenty-nine of the ingredients mixed without problem. Crabbe tipped the 30th into the cauldron. A low hissing started inside the cauldron that quickly evolved into the sound of furious bubbles breaking against the sides of the cauldron. Crabbe leaned over the cauldron and peered at its contents. Before he saw the potion, a cloud of purple and lime green smoke belched up into his face. He leaned back from the cauldron and looked nervously up at the front of the room. Before he could draw attention to himself, the potion exploded from the cauldron in a boiling rage. It began to splatter towards the people sitting around him. Before it could hit anyone, an electric blue shield emanated from the floor, surrounding Crabbe and the flying potion. The potion smashed against the barrier and dumped back down on Crabbe in a boiling, rainbow mess. Crabbe released a scream that drew the attention of everyone in the Great Hall. Dumbledore appeared out of the antechamber and he and the test proctor quickly put a silencing spell on the still-screaming Crabbe. Crabbe toppled from his chair, hands clasped to his face, writing with agony. Dumbledore broke the protective barrier and conjured a stretcher. The two men loaded Crabbe, who had since fallen unconscious, onto it and Dumbledore floated him out of the Hall.  
  
"Please continue," the proctor instructed, as though nothing had happened.  
  
%%%%%  
  
What is a bezoar?  
  
Harry tried to stifle a laugh as he placed his quill on the parchment. He wrote: "A bezoar is something Snape asks potions-illiterate, muggle born or raised first years about during their very first potions class in order to feel better about himself through the pain of others. As one of said first years, I learned that a bezoar is also a stone found in the stomach of a goat that is an important ingredient in most poison antidotes."  
  
%%%%%  
  
What is it important to not mix potions?  
  
Draco shook his head at his paper and began writing.  
  
One shouldn't mix potions because the reactions are unpredictable. Mixed potions can give ulcers, lower bone and blood density, deaden the sense of touch, cause kidney stones, and have other effects that you don't want to read about and I don't much fancy thinking about. They can also cause one to puke blood. While not the most appealing activity, it is, evidently, very frightening for younger siblings to observe. This is usually a good effect to have on younger siblings.  
  
*****  
  
"So what's the verdict?" Harry questioned as Hermione sank into her seat at the Great Hall. Hermione had run to the hospital wing as soon as they had been released from the first section of their potions exam to see if Madame Pomfrey would allow her to sit in on Crabbe's treatment.  
  
"His mess burned him so badly that he had to be taken to St. Mungo's. If he can't come back to take history of Magic after lunch, which he won't be able to, he'll have to repeat fifth year next year."  
  
"So you mean Crabbe will be a fifth year again next year?" Ron asked. Hermione nodded.  
  
"That is, of course, provided he manages to live through this," she said almost offhandedly. "Madame Pomfrey did, after all, say his potion managed to eat his nose and ears completely away."  
  
%%%%%  
  
Explain the historical significance of Goblins.  
  
Ron blinked twice at his paper and then rubbed his eyes. He finally put his quill to the parchment and began writing.  
  
"Goblins are important because they like to revolt and have done so often throughout history. Also, they run Gringotts. Lastly, Tom Riddle's grandmother was most likely a Goblin."  
  
%%%%%  
  
Explain the historical significance of Nigel the Careless.  
  
Ernie had to stifle a laugh before he began writing his answer in the provided space.  
  
"He fired the spell that began the Goblin Rebellion of 1512."  
  
%%%%%  
  
Explain the historical significance of Harry Potter.  
  
Hermione glanced over at Harry, wondering if he had reached the question yet. He looked to be in total concentration on his exam, so Hermione looked back to her own.  
  
"Harry Potter is historically significant for an even that happened when he was 15 months old. He defeated Voldemort simply because his mother died for him. However, Voldemort is back. Therefore, the ministry should quit focusing so much on a 15-year-old boy who would like to be out of the spotlight, and start focusing more on the homicidal/genocidal maniac running loose through the country.  
  
*****  
  
"Again, not nearly as bad as I thought it could have been!" Hermione chirped. She practically skipped along beside the boys as the trip made their way back to their common room after their History of Magic O.W.L. and finishing their potions.  
  
"I never thought I'd say this, but potions wasn't as hard as I expected it to be either," Ron laughed.  
  
'All of the extra homework you boys got us has actually paid off," Hermione said. She wasn't about to admit that Snape was actually a good teacher.  
  
"History of Magic was killer, though." Harry ran his hand through his hair, making it stand on end to illustrate his exasperation.  
  
"I know," Hermione agreed. "I don't know if I got all 16 dates for the Goblin rebellions right. I think I may have been a year off with the date of the seventh one."  
  
"Wait wait wait!" Ron cried. "There was a question about the dates of the Goblin Rebellion?"  
  
"What do you think 'explain the historical significance of goblins,' meant?" Hermione screeched.  
  
"What did you think of the question about me?" Harry asked, mainly to avoid a shouting match between Ron and Hermione.  
  
"Don't know anyone who could have gotten that wrong," Ron laughed.  
  
"I probably did," Harry admitted.  
  
"You WHAT?" Hermione shrieked.  
  
"I probably got it wrong," Harry repeated. "I wrote 'he was the youngest seeker in a century at Hogwarts,' and then made a cross reference to my name on the front cover of my exam."  
  
%%%%%  
  
"Tell me, Mr. Weasley, what do you see in the crystal ball?" a skinny witch with brown hair piled on top of her head in a messy bun.  
  
"I see a boy with red hair and freckles and blue eyes and a nose that looks like it's been broken," Ron announced.  
  
"And what is this boy doing?" the witch asked.  
  
"Reading the letter that says he passed all of his O.W.L.'s," Ron said, smiling coyly at the witch over the ball.  
  
"Nice try, Mr. Weasley, nice try," the witch laughed.  
  
%%%%%  
  
"So, Mr. Potter, look at the dregs and tell me what you see," a short witch with curly blonde hair instructed. She held out a plate with tea dregs to Harry. He took the plate and studied it for a moment.  
  
"I see both black and green tea leaves, small pieces of orange peel and smaller flecks of dried raspberry, hibiscus leaves, rosehips, chicory root." Harry paused and scratched his head. "You had raspberry tea didn't you?"  
  
"Very funny Mr. Potter."  
  
"So how many points do I get?" he questioned.  
  
"None," the witch replied.  
  
"None?" Harry asked. "I should get a few for effort. You have to admit that was creative, and you wouldn't believe how many cups of tea my friends and I had to drink to get me to the point that I can identify the type by looking at the dregs."  
  
%%%%%  
  
In Aramaic, write a five-paragraph essay about the topic of your choice.  
  
Mandy read over the first four paragraphs of her essay. She had written about her favorite topic, Ron. She glanced across the Great Hall to where he sat, red head bent over his divination exam. His quill scratched across the parchment, while his left fingers twisted through the beginnings of curls resting at the top of his left ear. Mandy sighed and looked back to her paper.  
  
"*The third reason I love Ron Weasley is he's a stevedore. I wish I was a Gryffindor because that would make meeting him at night so much easier. This only being with him once a week stuff sucks."  
  
"Alright!" called the same wizard from the potions exam. "Put your quills down. Time is up!"  
  
Mandy looked down at the last couple of sentences. She had meant to erase them when she came up with a satisfactory conclusion paragraph. She reached for her wand to make the last few sentences disappear, but before she could adjust them, the paper flew off of her table and into the hand of the wizard in charge. Suddenly, Mandy was redder than the levels regularly achieved by the subject of her essay.  
  
%%%%%  
  
"No points for the tea dregs bit," Harry laughed as he and Ron and Hermione headed back towards the common room after their third and final O.W.L. of Tuesday.  
  
"None?" Hermione questioned.  
  
"Not even for creativity?" Ron added. Harry shook his head and pushed his fringe off of his forehead.  
  
"Not a point," Harry reiterated.  
  
"You mean I drank my weight in Earl Grey and you got NO points for it?" Ron shrieked.  
  
"Wouldn't it be volume rather than weight?" Hermione questioned. Both of the boys glared at her. Ron paused in front of a hall branching from the one they were walking down.  
  
"Well guys, I'm off to see Mandy for a bit," he announced.  
  
"Ron!" Hermione shrieked. "You've got a transfiguration O.W.L. in the morning!"  
  
"If my girlfriend, who, might I remind you, is a Ravenclaw, is okay with not studying, then I think I can skip it for a little while too," Ron laughed.  
  
*****  
  
"Hermione, I've got a question for you," Harry prompted. Hermione looked up from a thick sheaf of notes she had propped against a jug of milk on the breakfast table.  
  
"Is it related to Transfiguration?" Hermione questioned.  
  
"No," Harry admitted with a shake of his head. Hermione looked back to her notes.  
  
"Then I don't want to hear it now," she muttered. Harry plowed on after swallowing a bit of egg.  
  
"Aren't you next in line to be McGonagall?" he asked. Hermione looked across the top of the milk jug with a steely glare.  
  
"What are you on about?" she asked.  
  
"I think he's asking why you're so worried," Fred said. He tried to snake his arm around her shoulders and drop a kiss on her cheek. A quick movement of her shoulders pushed away his advances.  
  
"Leave me 'lone," she muttered.  
  
"Hermione, really, I think this is a bit excessive. You've come out of every test talking about how easy it was," Ron pointed out.  
  
"You had a staring contest with the test proctor for over half an hour because you finished your Ancient Runes exam that early," Harry added. Hermione shrugged.  
  
"You've not been much fun for the past month," Fred complained.  
  
"Sorry, Fred. That was Ancient Runes, this is Transfiguration, Harry. I could do that because I studied, Ron," she responded with very clipped tones.  
  
"Sorry Fred?" Fred questioned. "Sorry Fred? Babe, it's been fun but it's not anymore."  
  
"And we said we'd be done when it wasn't fun anymore," Hermione continued.  
  
"That we did," Fred agreed. Hermione looked away from her notes fully for the first time since the beginning of the conversation.  
  
"Well, I guess this is it, then," she said. Harry and Ron's jaw's dropped at the frankness in their friend's voice.  
  
"I guess it is," Fred agreed. He held his arms out. Hermione fell into them for a quick hug.  
  
"It was fun," she said. Fred nodded and released her. Hermione pulled away from him and smiled softly. Fred dropped a quick kiss on Hermione's forehead before standing up.  
  
"See ya," he said.  
  
"Yeah, see you," Hermione echoed. Fred turned slowly and started towards the other end of the table where George, Lee, Katie, Angelina and Alicia and Marissa sat. Hermione looked back to her notes.  
  
"She and her boyfriend of nearly nine months just broke up and still, all she can do is study," Ron muttered. Harry shook his head.  
  
"Will you two please be quiet? I can't concentrate!" Hermione insisted. Harry and Ron looked at each other, not bothering to hide their surprise.  
  
%%%%%  
  
Please discuss the history, logistics, and theory of the spork transfiguration.  
  
"Harlan Sanders created the sport transfiguration because he wanted to make a fork out of spoon. He tried to make the tines of the fork before he flattened the spoon. This caused the spoon to have tiny half formed tines and he was unable to continue to create his fork. Had he flattened the spoon first, he would have been able to create fully formed tines and then a fork.  
  
%%%%%  
  
Please explain the difference between charmed invisibility and transfigured invisibility.  
  
Goyle looked down at the test paper and snorted audibly. Draco looked up form his paper and shot an icy glare at his one remaining goon. Goyle shrugged and put the tip of his quill to the paper. He began to write, dragging the nib across the parchment with heavy strokes.  
  
"One is charms, one is transfiguration."  
  
%%%%%  
  
Why is there an ethical battle in the ministry today over the transfiguration of animate objects into inanimate ones or vice-versa?  
  
Ernie shook his head at the parchment, trying to gather his thoughts about the ministry so he wouldn't ramble on for multiple pages about why they needed to improve.  
  
"The ethical battle going on in the ministry today is solely based on the fact that the people in the ministry are larger dunderheads than Snape's first year potions classes. They can't see that animating objects only lasts for as long as the spell lasts. This is not he same as giving the object life. Were the object to have life, it would have free will and therefore be able to escape from its creators and live on its own. This doesn't happen, so the ministry's real worry comes from what people are doing with this skill. Voldemort could be out there now creating an army of zombie clones from sticks and rocks and things. He could then command the transfigured army to break into our houses and eat us all while we sleep. The ministry should be more worried about stopping him."  
  
Ernie exhaled and pulled his quill away from his paper, satisfied that he hadn't gone to far overboard in expressing his opinions.  
  
*****  
  
"Not bad at all," Hermione announced.  
  
"As you said for the six before this too," Ron laughed.  
  
"So are you and Fred going to get back together now?" Harry questioned, leaning back on a pile of cushions he had transfigured from pocket lint in a corner of the Entrance Hall. He was concerned at how lightly Hermione was taking her break-up.  
  
"Nope," said Hermione. She crossed her legs and leaned back in the purple director's chair she had transfigured. "I really think we're done for good. If you boys haven't been paying attention, we've been on a downhill swing for a month or a month and a half now. Ron, where did you learn that?" Ron ran his hands down the arms of the blue and orange Hawaiian print lounge chair. He had transfigured the chair and a matching umbrella and martini glass.  
  
"Must I remind you again? I am dating a Ravenclaw," Ron laughed. "Mandy taught me!"  
  
"And I feel inferior," Harry muttered, looking down at his modest pile of cushions. Suddenly, the cloth disappeared from Ron's lounge chair. The boy fell through the metal tube frame, smashing to the floor with a rattle of metal on stone and a loud thud.  
  
"Or not," Harry laughed.  
  
%%%%%  
  
"Okay, Miss Granger, for the practical portion of your Transfiguration O.W.L., you will need to transfigure this quill into six different things," the blonde witch from the DADA practical said.  
  
"Six objects of my choice?" Hermione questioned.  
  
"No," the witch replied, "you need to transfigure it into an animal, then an article of clothing, then something commonly found in a kitchen, then something useful, then something from Quidditch, then a spoon, then a fork in that order."  
  
"Is that it?" Hermione questioned as the lady placed a quill in the center of the table.  
  
"You will get more points for more creative and difficult transfigurations. You will lose points for partial transfigurations or skipping steps.  
  
"Okay," Hermione said cheerfully. "May I begin?" The lady nodded and Hermione pulled out her monogrammed wand and aimed it at the quill. She began muttering Latin under her breath. The quill slowly morphed into a tiny kitten that retained the brown pattern of the feather. Another spell later and the kitten had a beautiful brown, tan, black, grey and white calico pattern. The tiny animal struggled to its paws and gave a tiny but wide yawn followed by a loud meow. It quickly turned around in a small circle and sank down. Resting it's head on its miniscule paws, its eyes fluttered closed in preparation for a nap.  
  
Hermione looked up at the witch, who nodded and noted something on her clipboard. Hermione waved her wand again. The kitten slowly morphed into a long sleeved shirt. A few more wand movements and the shirt had cuffs and a collar as well as buttons going down one side in the front. One more spell and the shirt had a purple, yellow and white paisley pattern rather than the calico pattern of the kitten. The lady picked up the shirt and tugged on it. When the seams held, she checked the buttons. The buttons passed her inspection so she laid the shirt back on the table and nodded at Hermione.  
  
The girl smirked at the shirt before muttering the next series of spells. The shirt flashed in a series of sparks and purple smoke. When the smoke cleared, a steel eggbeater with a red handle lay where shirt had previously been. The lady quickly tested the eggbeater. Satisfied that it worked, she nodded at Hermione.  
  
Hermione took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, preparing for her next transfiguration. She quickly lowered the eggbeater to the floor and said another set of spells. In the eggbeaters place appeared an exact replica of the director's chair she had created in the Entrance Hall. The lady took a seat and when she found it would hold her weight, she stood up and nodded at Hermione  
  
Hermione quickly transfigured the chair into a beaters bat followed by a spoon and then finally a perfect fork.  
  
"Great, Miss Granger," the witch said. "You'll get the results at the end of the week." Hermione nodded, turned on her heel, and left the partition.  
  
%%%%%  
  
"So now all I have to do is make something commonly found in a kitchen?" Draco asked.  
  
"Yes, Mr. Malfoy," the blonde witch replied. She sounded slightly exasperated as she glared down at her clipboard. Draco looked at the transfigured snitch he grasped tightly in his hand and one of his characteristic smirks crossed his face. He pointed his wand at the snitch and muttered a few simple spells. After one final animation spell, he stepped away from his creation and beamed nearly happily at the woman. She surveyed his transfiguration.  
  
It was about a meter tall with brownish skin and a long thin nose. It had large floppy ears, and was dressed in a toga fashioned from cloth napkins clumsily sewn together to form a single piece of cloth. The house elf blinked its large brown eyes and looked from the test proctor to Draco back to the blonde witch.  
  
"Full marks, Mr. Malfoy, though I suggest familiarizing yourself with other things commonly found in a kitchen."  
  
%%%%%  
  
"You know," Hermione began as the three friends made their way down to the greenhouses to begin their Herbology practical after they finished their Transfiguration practical.  
  
"It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," Ron and Harry chorused.  
  
*****  
  
"Yay for finally having a break from the infernal testing," Harry muttered. He leaned back on the couch in the common room, resting his head against his back and spreading his arms along the uppermost part of the cushions.  
  
"But we've got Care of Magical Creatures and our written Herbology tomorrow, and both Charms tests and Astronomy the day after," Ron said.  
  
"Thanks Hermione," Harry spat, glaring playfully at the redhead stretched out in front of the empty fireplace.  
  
"Do you really think those mandrakes would have killed us if we hadn't remembered the charms to remove our hearing?" Ron questioned.  
  
"Yes probably. The Mandrake is slowly killing all of us by annoying us to death," a small voice announced from the back of the couch. Astrid sprang into a chair across from Harry while Jason sat down on the ground at the bottom of Astrid's chair. Harry turned to look at Sawyer, who was still standing behind the couch.  
  
"Hey guys, watch this," the boy announced.  
  
"Pay close attention," Astrid advised. "Those will quite likely be the last words you'll ever hear Sawyer Lewis speak."  
  
"Shove it, Astrid Malfoy," Sawyer said. He stuck his tongue out at his friend before placing his hands on the back of the couch. He jumped quickly and propelled himself forward at the same time. He effectively placed his head on the back of the couch and flipped his body over his head, landing with his butt on the seat cushion, his head against the top of the back cushion and his feet in the floor.  
  
"Impressive, Sawyer, quite impressive," Ron laughed. Jason and Astrid shook their heads at the boy.  
  
"You shoulda seen him all the times he tried it and landed in the floor or didn't quite clear the back of the couch," Jason muttered.  
  
"Did you have trouble learning your stupid human trick Sawyer?" Ron questioned. Sawyer glared at the fifth year and crossed his thin arms over his chest.  
  
"You couldn't do it if you tried," he insisted. Ron turned so he could see the first year.  
  
"Ron, I'd say you're a little too large to try that," Harry warned. Ron stood and moved behind the empty couch.  
  
"Please don't hurt yourself," Astrid pleaded. Ron ignored his friends and backed away from the couch.  
  
"Where's Hermione?" Sawyer questioned.  
  
"She's taking her Arithmancy O.W.L.," Harry replied, "Why?"  
  
"Cause someone's gonna need to heal him after he stuffs his fat red head into the sofa," Jason laughed.  
  
"Ah, we can just let him walk around with a cushion stuck on his head until she gets back," Harry replied. Ron glared at the four from behind the couch.  
  
"Ron, don't kill yourself," Astrid requested. Sawyer turned sparkling blue eyes to his friend and began to say something, but she silenced him with an icy silver glare.  
  
"So are you going to do it or not?" Sawyer asked, as though he had originally meant to say that all along. The stony glare on Astrid's face said clearly that she didn't think he had.  
  
"Someone count," Ron requested.  
  
"One.... Two.... Three!" chorused the three first years. Ron ran towards the couch. When he reached the back, he bent over and stuck his head on the couch cushions. Then he jumped to propel his body over the back of the couch. The force of his jump, instead, drove his head just between the couch cushions and his body went right back to the floor.  
  
"Way to go Ron!" Sawyer cheered. Jason and Astrid both clapped loudly while Harry collapsed with laughter.  
  
"Hey guys," Ron's voice came from between the cushions. "I think I'm stuck"  
  
*****  
  
"Yet again, that wasn't bad at all," Hermione announced her return to the common room from her O.W.L. "Did you guys have fun while I was gone?"  
  
"I beat Harry, Jason and Sawyer in chess!" Astrid announced. She sat at the chess table with Dennis Creevey on the other side.  
  
"What about Ron?" Hermione questioned.  
  
"He's stuck in the couch," Sawyer answered off-handedly from his spot infront of the fire.  
  
"WHAT?" Hermoine screeched.  
  
"I'm stuck in the couch," came Ron's mumbled, muffled answer from the couch.  
  
"Couldn't one of you gotten him out?" Hermione questioned.  
  
"Sure," Astrid replied. "He never asked though."  
  
"Will someone please unstick me?" Ron requested. Both Astrid and Hermione pulled their wands from their pockets.  
  
"Wingardium Leviosa!" Astrid squealed before Hermione could say anything. She jerked her wand straight towards the ceiling. Ron's head freed from the couch and his body shot straight towards the ceiling. He smacked into the ceiling and hurtled back towards the ground. Only then did Astrid slow down his fall and let him float lightly onto the couch.  
  
"Astrid!" Hermione screeched as the first years and Harry erupted with laughter.  
  
"You'll pay for that, Little Miss Malfoy," Ron spat.  
  
*****  
  
"Boys!" Lavender screeched.  
  
"Cor, Lav, you have the voice of a banshee first thing in the morning!" Seamus cried sleepily.  
  
"Or afternoon!" Parvati exclaimed.  
  
"Huh?" Dean questioned, equally sleepily. Both boys, plus Harry and Ron were still in their beds with their hangings drawn. Neville and all three girls stood in the doorway of the boy's room.  
  
"The four of you slept through your Herbology O.W.L.'s," Hermione said.  
  
"Oh," came Ron's highly intelligent response.  
  
"Is that all you can say for yourselves?" Hermione questioned.  
  
"Yup," Dean muttered.  
  
"Don't guess any of us will take N.E.W.T. level Herbology," Harry added.  
  
"Don't need Herbology to play Quidditch anyway," Ron declared.  
  
"Have fun in N.E.W.T. Herbology without us, Nev," Seamus laughed.  
  
"You guys really don't seem like you care," Lavender said.  
  
"The only thing I care about right now is the fact that I need to piss and there are girls between me and the loo!" Seamus insisted.  
  
"So go," Lavender prompted.  
  
"Lav, doll, I'm wearing only my boxers."  
  
*****  
  
"You again!" a Jarvey hissed as Harry, Ron and Hermione approached it. The creature was tied farthest from the group. As the assignment was to observe the Jarvey for the entire exam period, and they were allowed to work in groups of three or four, the friends chose it because they thought it would give them a chance to talk.  
  
"Yep, it's us," Harry recognized the Jarvey from the first time they had worked with the creatures.  
  
"Same deal as last time?" Ron questioned.  
  
"Five," the Jarvey said. "This is, after all, your O.W.L."  
  
"Deal," Harry agreed.  
  
"This has got to be the easiest O.W.L. I've taken," Hermione declared.  
  
"Herbology written was easier," Harry joked.  
  
"SKREWT!" the Jarvey screeched.  
"I can't believe the pair of you don't care more about that than you do!" Hermione cried.  
  
"We probably would have failed anyway," Harry said. He stretched back in the grass and looked at the Jarvey.  
  
"There was a question about Devil's Snare," Hermione provided. Ron snapped his fingers and moved his arm in mock disappointment  
  
"Damn it! I would have known that one!" he cried. Hermione glared at him and opened her mouth to speak.  
  
"Frizzy-haired mudblood!" The Jarvey yelled.  
  
"Maybe we should observe him so we don't set the record for number of O.W.L.'s failed in one day," Harry suggested.  
  
"Why?" Ron joked. "It'd be a record my brothers didn't hold first."  
  
*****  
  
Harry ran down the hall and leapt high into the air. He moved both of his legs quickly to his left side and tapped his heels together before his feet hit the floor again. He jumped again and repeated his action on the right.  
  
"Ron, have you been practicing your cheering charms again?" Hermione questioned. Harry stopped and turned to face his friends.  
  
"Nope!" he and Ron chorused.  
  
"Then what exactly is wrong with you?" Hermione questioned.  
  
"It's Friday. We have three tests left and we've only definitely failed one! Why shouldn't I be happy?" Harry exclaimed.  
  
"You're right," Ron answered. He ran down the hall to where Harry stood and jumped and clicked his heels too. Hermione simply shook her head and quickened her pace to catch up with the boys.  
  
*****  
  
Explain the theory behind producing a corporeal patronus.  
  
Ron smirked at the test and brought his quill to the parchment.  
  
"The corporeal patronus is powered by happy thoughts. The trick is to be able to face a dementor and still think happy thoughts while saying the charm. However, facing a dementor and thinking happy thoughts at the same time is what makes the charm advanced magic."  
  
%%%%%  
  
Explain why summoning objects from more than 20 meters away is nearly impossible.  
  
Harry's eyes widened at the questioned and he pulled his quill away from the doodles he was creating on the top of the parchment.  
  
"I didn't realize summoning objects from far away was nearly impossible. I've summoned things from well over 200 meters away before. I can also summon people. Is that unusual too?"  
  
*****  
  
"Two more to go!" Harry crowed as he, Hermione, Ron, Hannah, Mandy, Ernie and Justin walked into the Great Hall for their charms practical.  
  
"Hush, Harry," Hannah admonished. Harry slung his arm around her shoulders and pressed a sloppy kiss on her cheek.  
  
"Ron?" Hermione questioned, turning glaring eyes on her best friend. Ron smirked slightly at the girl.  
  
"Ron!" Hermione shrieked.  
  
"What?" Ron asked innocently. Hermione deepened her glare on him.  
  
"Do we really have to do this?" Harry asked, quite loudly. "Let's blow this Popsicle stand and go play Quidditch!"  
  
"I had to practice on someone!" Ron finally admitted. Both Hannah and Hermione pulled out their wands and fired off counter-charms for Ron's busted cheering charm. Both charms hit Harry in his back at the same time. He stumbled forwards and sank to the ground. He gathered his knees to his chest and buried his face in his knees.  
  
"Quick Ron, hit him with another cheering charm!" Hermione squealed. Ron did as he was told and Harry stood up to face his friends.  
  
"Now that I've unnecessarily been put through the emotional wringer, how about we go take a Charms O.W.L. so you lot can have more willing subjects."  
  
%%%%%  
  
"Alright, Mr. Potter, are you ready for this?" A tall, fat, bald man asked Harry.  
  
"Not really," Harry admitted. "My friends nearly killed me and now I'm sleepy.  
  
"Your friends nearly did what You-Know-Who hasn't? How?" the man asked.  
  
"Oh, nothing really," Harry tried to keep the suspicion out of his voice. "Can I take my exam now." He mentally berated himself for his poor choice of words.  
  
"Alright, first I'd like you to make this pineapple to tap dance."  
  
*****  
  
"Ready to go?" Hermione questioned. "Where's Harry?" Seamus and Lavender were curled into a chair. Ron was sprawled on the couch, his head resting on the back and one arm stretched out along the top of the cushion Parvati had her head resting on the opposite arm rest of Ron's couch, and her feet propped in Ron's lap. Dean was sprawled face down in front of the fire.  
  
"Upstairs in his bed asleep. Same place he has been since we got back from Charms this afternoon," Ron explained.  
  
"I'll get him," Hermione started towards the stairs.  
  
"Hermione, what are you going to do?" Ron warily questioned. Hermione smiled innocently.  
  
"I'm going to set his bed on fire."  
  
*****  
  
"So where am I supposed to sleep now?" Harry asked as the eight Gryffindor fifth years walked back towards the common room after their Astronomy O.W.L. around 2:00 Saturday morning.  
  
"Your bed isn't really destroyed," Hermione laughed. "That was a new type of fire that is really hot but doesn't burn things."  
  
"So how do you think you did?" Lavender asked.  
  
"I named a constellation the little pile o' crackers. I think I failed miserably," Seamus laughed.  
  
"We're done with O.W.L,'s!" Dean cried. "Doesn't this call for a celebration of some sort?"  
  
"Tomorrow," Parvati said.  
  
"After we've slept," Harry agreed. 


	47. Chapter 47

Blunt But Honest: Guess what! You get your own authors note. First of all, I'd like to say that not leaving an email so that I could reply to your reviews to defend my story is pretty low. Oh well. I've obviously found a way around that. So I'll start at the beginning. I don't think her cousins would know she was a witch. Yes, news of the tournament would make it back to France, but I'm not sure the French would consider who the fourth champion in the tournament is or isn't dating to be relevant news.  
  
If people hated the idea of going from fluff to seriousness one moment to the next, then the world would be full of boring, depressed people. Life isn't all seriousness or all fluff, and I've tried to stay true to real life in my story. Therefore, I shall continue to switch from fluff to serious topics as I choose.  
  
Also. It's my story. I don't care if you don't like the fact that I use people's full names. I do that to assert my bit of possessiveness over the characters, because as far as I know, J.K.R. has only given Harry a middle name.  
  
I know the kids in Braeden's school wear light blue robes. This is evidenced by the later chapters at Beauxbatons. However, just because my school colors are purple and gold doesn't mean I don't own clothing of other colors. It stands to reason that Braeden would own at least one black robe, because I tend to think light blue would stand out.  
  
JKR has never said James was a seeker. Yes, he was playing with a snitch in Order of the Phoenix, but a snitch would impress girls better than, oh, say a quaffle. To see what JKR said about this, visit the Harry Potter Lexicon, Harry's family, and view the biographic information at the bottom of the page, under the heading Quidditch.  
  
And just so you know obVious obViously has a V in the word. ObViously you should have spell checked your reviews before criticizing my spelling. And in a 300,000 + word document, I'm allowed to make a few typing mistakes. As my beta said "considering there are books that aren't even bloody perfect and they're getting paid for that shit."  
  
How is Ron and Ginny being picked as reserve beaters when they didn't even try out for those positions predictable. Also, Neville, who broke his wrist in the only flying lesson ever mentioned, is the reserve keeper. And you call that predictable?  
  
I think you should read a little farther into the story to see if things happen before you post negative comments. For instance, I introduced members of the other houses as rather important characters within 3 chapters of chapter 11. My beta would like to add "how much time does JKR actually spend on people outside of Gryffindor and Slytherin?"  
  
Chapter 11 was written before Order of the Phoenix came out. I later included the sliding stair case in the story. As the story is billed as an Alternate Universe in the first FOUR words of the summary, you can't expect everything to be exactly like JKR's world. I have taken a bit of a different view on the stairs and that mystery hasn't been resolved yet.  
  
Keiran tried out to play seeker. Slytherin already obviously has a seeker in the form of Draco Malfoy. Therefore, he was only trying out to be a reserve. In OotP, Ginny lists seventh years. Katie is not included in this list, but in S.S, Katie is on the team, and mentions that she had been a reserve the year before. The only possibility then, is that Katie is a year older than Harry and had been a reserve as a first year.  
  
Okay. As far as my use of the word "pouf" to describe objects to sit on in the Divination classroom, reference page 102 , 3 lines down, Hard back American Edition of Prisoner of Azkaban. JKR, in describing the divination classroom, used the phrase "chintz arm chairs and fat little poufs."  
  
Just because it was Cedric's first year as a seeker doesn't mean it was his first year on the team. He could have previously played a different position while waiting for the seeker position to open. He could have also been a reserve.  
  
As far as the logic of Hannah's assumption about Voldemort and the death eaters. Part of it is my mistake, but it's also JKR's mistake. Hannah shouldn't have known that Harry saw Cedric, but in Goblet of Fire, Voldemort says "kill the spare" which is the order to kill Cedric. By this point, Voldemort didn't have a body. Pettigrew was acting as his right hand man, or as my beta says, "nanny." So Pettigrew had to have killed Cedric using Voldemort's wand. No one else has said a thing about it, so I think you're probably just thinking a little too much.  
  
Actually, by chapter 15, the fifth book was still a good two months away from release.  
  
As I said, read farther before you comment. In the early 20's chapters, they did interview Sirius. Also, its Sirius, not Serius.  
  
As a matter of fact, you are missing something. A big something. Called Madame Hooch. She was judging the trials, and therefore, she flew so she could have the best view of the action. 14 players + 1 ref (Thomas Watson) + one judge (Madame Hooch) = 16 people. I can count. But thanks for your complements on the way I write Hermione.  
  
I also mentioned in an authors note at the very beginning of the chapter that I decided Barrett was more effective as a 3 and a half year old rather than a six month old. I said I would change the previous chapters later, but I haven't gotten around to it. And I didn't specify when later, so it's all good.  
  
Actually, cheesy romance smut novels are more detailed on how they're getting people out of the clothes. And define younger, as you call me a younger girl. Also, the thought there is that my audience is composed mostly of "younger" girls, and therefore, since you did already point out that clothing is really only mentioned in stories written by that demographic group, they probably care.  
  
And now to my favorite review. You say the Princess Bride bit was a "cheap lousy theft of someone else's good idea." But I ask you. What is fanfic if not just that? My beta would like to add "William Goldman had a "cheap lousy theft" of someone's good idea when he decided he was going to write his highly edited, abridged version of F. Morgenstern's classic." Enough said about that.  
  
Chairs. What about the times that they're not awake? Also, sometimes it's important. As for your review to chapter 30, don't us a grandiose word where a diminutive one will suffice. Or don't use a big one when a little one will work. Also, I realize it's Nymph and not Nympho. I said Nympho on purpose. As evidenced by the fact that she paused and then yelled "hey! I'm am not!" Also nymphomania is a psychological disease, not an addiction, but that's just Nat being picky.  
  
Just want to reIterate that reIterate only has one I. Also, using progressively stronger language in consecutive reviews after the story has been completed gets nothing accomplished. I happen to like mentioning where everyone sat and even if your reviews made me change my mind, I don't see a massive overhaul of this story in the works. Yours are the only complaints I've gotten so far about spelling things out. In fact, one of the chief complaints otherwise, is I DON'T put in enough details. How do you like them apples?  
  
Also. Thus far. Not Thusly. I thought you'd like to know that there's not a Y in the word apostrophe. Also, the word yall is a contraction of the words you and all. A contraction, by definition, needs an apostrophE. If you feel the need to dispute this, you're obViously not Southern American. Heather (the character who introduced the word ya'll) is. She knows what she's talking about.  
  
You seem to do the forgetting that there is only one z in wizards a lot. Nat told me not to talk about the syntax of that review. So I'll just talk about the content. I tend to think that Harry didn't summon the map because Ron obViously had something to talk to them about that was more important than the game. Also, anyone would know that a Marauders Map playing hide and seek would be cheating. This would take the fun out of the game, and since Harry came up with the idea, I think he'd probably want it to be fun. Same goes for the invisibility cloak and the fact that they can all become invisible.  
  
But anyway. Thank you for the praise of my story in your reviews. Your criticism will be duly noted and briefly considered in future writings. And now, I would like you to point me in the direction of any stories you have written, either posted online, or just let me know which bookstore to buy them at. I'll be happy to do the same in reviewing for you.  
  
But Anyway  
  
I don't own this. JKR does.  
  
So guys, this is the end! I'd dance, but I'm sleepy and don't want to. Here is the deal. There are three sequels in the works. The first one should start immediately. It will be called Star Light. To get news on the other two, read Star Light, or email me. The Authors note on Star Light will hold the information about when the second sequels start.  
  
So its been great!  
  
And even though its done, that doesn't get you out of reviewing. So please do.  
  
Thanks  
  
*****  
  
"Have they come yet?" Hermione asked as she approached the breakfast table on Sunday morning after O.W.L.'s week, the last day at Hogwarts for fifth year.  
  
"Have what come yet?" Astrid questioned, looking up at the prefect through wide, oddly innocent silver eyes.  
  
"The owls with the O.W.L.'s results," Hermione prompted. She slid into a seat next to Harry, across from Astrid.  
  
"I didn't think you got those till mid summer," Astrid replied, before spooning a bit of egg into her mouth.  
  
"MID SUMMER!" Hermione screeched.  
  
"Yeah, mid summer," Sawyer said from his seat to one side of Astrid. Someone from the other side of the Great Hall released a shriek loud enough to wake the dead. Hermione spun to face the girl. Mandy stood next to the Ravenclaw table, a large envelope clutched in her hands, looking at a piece of parchment. Hermione scanned the rest of the students in the Great Hall and noticed many of them held envelopes and parchment similar to Mandy's.  
  
"Hand it over guys!" she demanded, turning back to her friends.  
  
"Hand over what?" Astrid asked, widening her eyes at the girl.  
  
"You know Astrid, I think the wideness of your eyes is directly proportional to your relative guilt," Hermione laughed.  
  
"What?" Astrid questioned.  
  
"The wider your eyes get, the guiltier you are," Hermione explained. She hadn't bothered to fill her plate with food as she was more concerned with finding her O.W.L.'s results.  
  
"Not necessarily true," Astrid objected.  
  
"Great. Now where is my envelope?" Hermione questioned.  
  
"Why are you worried?" Sawyer asked. "You know you aced your O.W.L's and probably set a new school record or two along the way."  
  
"Envelope, please!" Hermione requested. The undertones in her voice rang with more than a little irritation.  
  
"Guys, give it to her," Ron said, looking down at the pair of first years seated at his left elbow. Astrid pulled a large envelope from her lap under the table.  
  
"Merry Christmas!" she announced, handing the envelope to Hermione.  
  
"So how did you boys do?" Hermione questioned, taking the envelope from Astrid. Harry and Ron pulled their own envelopes from under the table.  
  
"We decided to wait on you open them," Ron said.  
  
"We don't know," Harry added.  
  
"So you can open them all together! And it'll be like a big... opening party! YAY! What fun!" Sawyer squealed. He bounced in his seat and clapped his hands several times in quick succession. Astrid froze in place and slowly turned her head to face her best friend.  
  
"You are so bloody strange that I sometimes wonder why I speak to you," she said evenly.  
  
"You love me," Sawyer guessed.  
  
"Don't be so sure about that," Astrid replied, not cracking a smile at the boy.  
  
"You want my sexy body," Sawyer suggested. Astrid reached out and placed her wrist on Sawyer's forehead.  
  
"You don't feel sick, but you're talking like you lost your mind!" Astrid exclaimed. Sawyer shrugged and Astrid dropped her wrist from his head.  
  
"How'd you do?" Harry finally asked, directing his question at both Ron and Hermione after he finished examining his parchment.  
  
"I got nine," Ron announced, letting his parchment drop to his lap. Both of the boys looked to Hermione, who was still looking at her results.  
  
"What did you get them in?" Harry questioned.  
  
"I got O's in Defense, Care of Magical Creatures, and, believe it or not, Potions. Then I got E's in Transfiguration and Charms, and A's in Astronomy and History. And then I got a P in Herbology, which is to be expected since we did sleep through half of it, and a D in Divination," Ron said. "No T's though, so I'm happy. The twins definitely got two T's a piece on their O.W.L.'s."  
  
"Doesn't surprise me," Harry laughed, "they are the twins."  
  
"How did you do?" Ron asked, looking back to his friend.  
  
"I got nine too," Harry said. "And split exactly the way yours are."  
  
"Hermione, you haven't said much," Ron said, nodding about Harry's news and looking to his other best friend at the same time.  
  
"I'm trying to figure out these ranks," Hermione replied.  
  
"Ranks?" the boys chorused. Breakfast grew cold on the plates, completely forgotten.  
  
"The numbers after the letter represent where in the class your score was," Hermione explained, never looking up from her parchment.  
  
"Yours are straight ones, what is there to figure out?" Ron questioned.  
  
"I didn't get straight one's either," Hermione said. "I got straight O's, but I didn't place first in everything."  
  
"So how many O.W.L's is straight O's?" Sawyer questioned.  
  
"Fifteen," Hermione muttered offhandedly.  
  
"FIFTEEN!" Astrid and Sawyer screeched.  
  
"Ssshhhhh!" The three fifth years admonished. The two first years looked at each other through wide eyes and shook their heads.  
  
"I wonder how many Draco got," Astrid said. She smoothed her hair back in its pony tail. Sawyer mimicked her motion on his own fuzzy dirty- blonde hair.  
  
"I got first in Defense!" Harry exclaimed excitedly.  
  
"Imagine that!" Sawyer muttered, rolling his eyes exasperatedly and taking another bite of egg.  
  
"I got first in Care of Magical Creatures!" Ron cried, slightly louder than Harry.  
  
"Congrats, Ron!" Astrid squealed.  
  
"Yeah, good job, Weasley," Sawyer laughed.  
  
"So you got number one in every thing else," Harry said, looking to Hermione.  
  
"Not exactly. I got number one in Transfiguration, Charms, History, Runes, Arithmancy, and Herbology," Hermione said. She still hadn't looked up from her parchment.  
  
"You got fifteen O.W.L.'s and you were first in our year for six classes," Ron said. "What else can that parchment say?"  
  
"Our overall rank in the year is listed too," Hermione replied.  
  
"Where?" Harry and Ron chorused. Their parchments moved back to their attention as fast as if they had been charmed.  
  
"The bottom of the list," Hermione said. "The number out of 35."  
  
"What did you get?" Ron questioned, nodding at Hermione.  
  
"Gee, Weasley," Sawyer laughed. "She got first place in six classes and fifteen O.W.L.'s. What do you think she got?"  
  
"Shove it Sawyer," Ron spat. "Though I must say, Percy didn't get that many O.W.L.'s."  
  
"I got first," Hermione muttered, more to her parchment than to her friends. "How about you guys?"  
  
"Congratulations, Hermione," Harry said. He looked away from his paper and tossed an arm around his friend's shoulder. She looked over at him through wide brown eyes.  
  
"You're not?" she didn't finish her sentence before Harry began speaking.  
  
"I know I was, and I think I speak for Ron too in saying this. I was expecting you to get first, and I think if you hadn't I would have been more upset than you probably would be."  
  
"Really?" Hermione asked, chancing a small smile at her best friend.  
  
"Of course! We've known from first year that you were going to wipe the floor with all of us in O.W.L.'s. You've been first every year since then too. So why should having a piece of paper that says you're smarter than the rest of us change anything?" Harry laughed. Ron nodded his agreement from across the table. Hermione moved her arm around the small of Harry's back.  
  
"Thanks guys,' she said with a smile, "so where did you place in the class."  
  
"Eighth," Ron said with a bright smile. "Fred and George were in the 20's of their class. Bill and Percy were both first in their years, but Charlie didn't make the top ten!"  
  
"Congrats, Ron!" Hermione and Harry chorused.  
  
"What about you, Harry?" Hermione questioned.  
  
"I can't find what you're talking about," Harry said, holding his parchment out to Hermione. Hermione took the results sheet and examined it carefully. When she came to the bottom of the list, she held it farther away from her face and then closer.  
  
"That bad?" Sawyer questioned.  
  
"Shove it, Lewis," Ron spat.  
  
"You're just bitter because you have to sit on couches like a normal person, you can't have a really cool signature way to sit," Sawyer muttered.  
  
"Though him with his head stuck in the cushions was funny," Astrid laughed.  
  
"But you bouncing me off the ceiling wasn't, chica," Ron said, glaring down at the first year. Astrid looked up at him through wide silver eyes.  
  
"You're doing the wide-eyed thing Hermione was talking about," Ron warned. Astrid rolled her eyes and shook her head at the fifth year.  
  
"I don't believe it!" Hermione cried.  
  
"That bad?" Harry echoed Sawyer's question.  
  
"Harry you placed fourth in our year!" Hermione screeched. Harry promptly plucked his glasses from his face and deposited them on Hermione's.  
  
"Now tell me what it says, cause obviously your eyes are as bad as mine this morning," he instructed.  
  
"No really, I'm fairly certain that that says you're fourth of the class," Hermione said, handing the parchment back to Harry. Harry removed his glasses from Hermione's face and put them back on his own. Then he took the parchment from her and looked to the statistic she was pointing at.  
  
"Bloody hell I don't believe it!" he cried. "I am fourth in the year!"  
  
"Way to go!" a female voice squealed from behind Harry. He and Hermione turned to see Hannah, Ernie, Justin and Mandy standing behind them. Mandy looked incredibly excited about the results of the O.W.L.'s, while Hannah, Justin and Ernie looked more than a little exasperated about something. Hermione moved over to allow Hannah to sit down. Ernie took a seat to the other side of Hermione, while Justin and Mandy ran to the other side of the table. Justin sat down on one side of Ron, while Mandy pushed her way between Ron and Astrid and sat down. No one paid attention to the vicious glares Astrid shot Mandy.  
  
"So how many did everyone get and where did everyone else place?" Mandy questioned.  
  
"Hermione got 15!" Sawyer piped up. "And she wiped the floor with everyone in class rank."  
  
"Sawyer!" Hermione screeched. "Tact! Please!"  
  
'Aw why, Hermione?" Sawyer asked. "Tact is not saying the fun stuff." The situation that could have proved tense was instantly diffused by Sawyer's antics.  
  
"I got 10!" Mandy announced. "And I placed fifth!" The academically competitive Ravenclaw part of her nature really showed through as she looked expectantly at Ernie and Justin to share.  
  
"I got seven and placed 16," Justin said, looking down at the plate lying on the table in front of him.  
  
"I got nine," Ernie said, "and I placed seventh."  
  
"Wow!" Mandy squealed. "Five of us placed in the top ten of our year!"  
  
"Eight," Ron said somberly, not taking his eyes off of his plate.  
  
"Eight? You got eight O.W.L.'s?" Mandy questioned. "That's fantastic, babe!" She reached over and threw her arms around Ron's neck and tried to lean in for a kiss. He dodged her kiss and shrugged her arm off of her shoulders.  
  
"No, actually, I got nine O.W.L's," Ron said. "I placed eighth over all in our year."  
  
"REALLY!" Mandy screeched.  
  
"No Mandy, I just felt like making that up for the hell of it," Ron spat.  
  
"How many O.W.L's did you get, Harry?" Hannah asked quietly.  
  
"Nine," Harry replied. "Exact same as Ron."  
  
"Good job," Hannah said. She leaned over and dropped a soft kiss on Harry's cheek.  
  
"I got eleven and I placed sixth," she said.  
  
"Fantastic, babe!" Harry exclaimed. He turned to her and kissed her properly.  
  
"Wait!" Mandy shouted. "How did you manage that? I got more O.W.L's than you and you beat me in ranking!"  
  
"You know, I think I need to finish packing," Ron said. He pushed away from the table and stood up. "See you guys on the train." He turned and quickly exited the Great Hall without another word. Mandy watched him leave before turning back to Harry and Hannah.  
  
"So how does that happen? You're a higher rank with fewer O.W.L.'s!" she said, quite demandingly.  
  
"Gee Mandy, I don't know," Hannah said, leveling a glare on her friend. "I seem to have placed sixth with eleven O.W.L.'s. Seems to me that that's one more than you got even though you placed fifth." Mandy's brilliant violet eyes narrowed as she looked from Harry to Hannah, back to Harry, and then again to Hannah.  
  
"Did you get a first place on anything?" Ernie asked Mandy.  
  
"No," Mandy replied. "What difference does that make?"  
  
"Harry got first in Defense, and Ron got first in Care of Magical Creatures!" Sawyer piped up. "And Hermione got first place in six other subjects!" Mandy glared down at the first year before removing herself from the bench at the Gryffindor table.  
  
"I think I see Morag and Padma," she declared. "I'm going to go see if they've seen their results yet." With that, she turned and headed back towards the Ravenclaw table.  
  
"Tact, Sawyer," Hermione scolded again.  
  
"No Hermione, it's fine. We've been trying to get rid of her all morning," Hannah said.  
  
"She's been unbearable," Ernie agreed.  
  
"That's a lot of the reason we came over here," Justin admitted. "We figured if seeing Ron didn't calm her down, then certainly Hermione could give her a taste of reality." He shrugged and looked back to the plate.  
  
"Instead Harry brought her back to Earth, and she pissed Ron off," Ernie muttered.  
  
"Yeah, Ron definitely finished packing before coming down to breakfast this morning," Harry said, looking nervously towards the door of the Great Hall. Ernie reached over and picked up Hermione's test results.  
  
"Mind if I look?" he questioned. She shook her head. Before he could read the first line of the parchment, someone snatched it out of his hands over his head. He, Hermione, Harry, and Hannah all turned to see where the results had flown too. Behind them stood Draco Malfoy, carefully studying Hermione's results sheet. As he didn't seem to want to insult them just yet, the gathered friends stayed quiet while he read the parchment. When he was done he let it flutter from his hand back to the plate in front of Ernie.  
  
"Impressive, Granger," he finally admitted. "You beat all of us in Arithmancy by a grade level, but I'm not sure you'll live to see the day you get better grades than me in potions or Astronomy."  
  
"Cause Voldemort is on the rise and she's not pureblood so you're not sure how many more days she'll live to see," Harry muttered, glaring up at his arch enemy.  
  
"Gee, Potty, I wasn't even thinking that. Thanks though, it was a good one," Draco said, returning Harry's glare.  
  
"How many did you get?" Astrid asked from across the table, turning an intense gaze on her older brother.  
  
"Thirteen," Draco muttered. Astrid nodded at him, but didn't voice her opinion on how he did. Instead she asked, "And you placed where?"  
  
"Second," he said. Astrid nodded again.  
  
"Good job," she finally muttered. Draco shrugged easily.  
  
"Not good enough," he said before turning on his heel and walking away.  
  
"Certifiably weird," Harry announced. The rest of the fifth years and Sawyer nodded in agreement, while Astrid simply shrugged.  
  
"I think I'm going to go find Ron," she finally said.  
  
*****  
  
"Hiya," a small voice called from the doorway of the fifth year boys' dorm room. Ron looked from where he sat on Harry's bed, staring out the window to the lone figure in the door.  
  
"Hey, Astrid," he said. She cautiously entered the room and headed over to Harry's bed.  
  
"Why are you sitting here?" she asked, indicating the bed that wasn't his.  
  
"Better view out the window," Ron explained. Astrid clambered to the other end of the bed.  
  
"So evidently your girlfriend has been making people mad all morning," the first year announced. She brushed a strand of her unruly blonde hair behind her ear and smiled at the older boy. "Hannah made her feel sorta stupid so she got up and left right after you did."  
  
"What did Hannah do?" Ron questioned.  
  
"Pointed out that while Harry was fourth in the class with only nine O.W.L's and Mandy was fifth with ten, she was sixth with eleven. Mandy ran away to Padma and Morag pretty quickly after that," Astrid laughed.  
  
"Yay Hannah," Ron said, looking down at his shoes.  
  
"Weren't you supposed to be finishing packing?" Astrid questioned.  
  
"Well, I'm as finished packing as I'll ever get," Ron said.  
  
"What is that supposed to mean?" Astrid questioned. Ron laughed lightly.  
  
"Seamus attempted the spell that all mothers of multiple children know that distributes each child's possessions to his or her space," Ron said.  
  
"Didn't work for him?" Astrid guessed.  
  
"Well, I know for certain that I saw a pair of Dean's boxers fly into my trunk, and Harry found Trevor in the bottom of his," Ron shrugged, smiling at the first year.  
  
"Aren't you all going to separate everything out?" Astrid questioned.  
  
"Nope," Ron said. "We decided it wasn't worth the trouble, as everything was packed and the room was cleaned."  
  
"So what if not just one of Dean's pairs of boxers flew into your trunk, but all of them, and none of yours?" Astrid questioned. Ron laughed a bit louder this time.  
  
"Don't guess I'll wear boxers all summer then," he said.  
  
"RON!" Astrid screeched. "That's a little more information than you needed to share with the first year!"  
  
"Sorry chica," Ron laughed, more than slightly amused at the scandalized look and pink color her face had taken on.  
  
"I got a question," Astrid said, after her face had faded back to its normal pale color.  
  
"What's that, chica?" he asked.  
  
"Do you want Alroy and Juliet?" she questioned.  
  
"You mean for the summer," he said. "Right?"  
  
"No, I mean do you want them to keep," she said.  
  
"Well it's a little pretentious of me to have a pet named after myself, don't you think," he said. "And why don't you want them anymore?"  
  
"I named him after you, you didn't I," Astrid objected. "And its not that I don't want them, it's that the ceremony is planned for this summer and I don't much want them to go to Keiran when something happens to me. He'd kill them. At least with you, I know they'll be safe."  
  
"If, chica, if," Ron said. "Not when."  
  
"No Ron, it's pretty much a when. I just hope Contessa's charm thing works." Astrid reached up to touch the pearly white bauble on the end of the silver chain that had hung around her neck  
  
"I hope it does, too," Ron agreed.  
  
"So will you take the cats or not?" Astrid questioned. Ron shrugged.  
  
"I'll keep them for the summer," he finally agreed. Astrid managed a small but slightly rueful smile at the older boy.  
  
"Thank you," she said. She jumped to her feet, standing at the end of Harry's bed, and dived towards her friend. Luckily he saw the dive coming and held his arms out to catch her. She threw her arms around his shoulders and he wrapped his arms around her waist. She buried her face in his shoulder and he rested his cheek on her head.  
  
"Owl me over break?" the tiny girl requested, her voice slightly muffled by his shoulder.  
  
"Of course!" Ron said. "I promise."  
  
"Guys, come on, the carriages are leaving for the station in a few minutes!" Neville called from out on the landing.  
  
"Has anyone seen Astrid?" came Jason's voice over the sudden noise in the common room that signified everyone's return from breakfast.  
  
"I should go find Sawyer and Jase," Astrid said. "I'm supposed to share a carriage with them and Chelsea, and Sawyer wants me to come visit for his birthday in July. I should explain why I can't."  
  
"Do they know?" Ron queried. Astrid shrugged.  
  
"Somewhat. I don't think they realize the extent, but I'm okay with that," she replied.  
  
"Look chica, you're going to have to be back next year. I don't think Sawyer and Jason could function properly without you," Ron warned.  
  
"Could you and Harry function properly without Hermione?" the girl asked. She jumped to her feet and bounced off the bed. Ron slowly stood and followed her towards the door.  
  
"Probably not," he finally answered.  
  
"Well for Jason's and Sawyer's sakes, I'll try to be back next year," Astrid said with a small smile, as though they were speaking of switching schools rather than death.  
  
*****  
  
"Come on, Astrid, I think they're in a compartment down this way!" Chelsea screeched. She turned on her heel and ran towards the opposite end of the train. Astrid finished climbing the stairs and turned to her left to follow her crazy friend down to the compartment where Chelsea claimed Sawyer, Jason and the fifth years were located. Chelsea didn't seem to see the boy backing towards her from the opposite direction.  
  
"Chelsea, watch out!" Astrid cried. The girl turned to face Astrid, and in doing so, slammed directly into the boy's lower back with her shoulder. Since she was already facing Astrid, she completely lost her balance and sprawled backwards in the corridor. She fell flat on her butt and finally managed to catch herself with her hands before her back and head crashed into the floor.  
  
"Hey watch it!" the boy snapped. He slowly turned to the pair of first years. Chelsea's eyes widened and she scrambled backwards. Astrid's eyes also widened, but she took a couple steps towards the boy. He was tall, thin, with short, slightly spiked brown hair with blond tips. His eyes, easily his most defining feature, were bright blue with flashes of purple and grey throughout.  
  
"S-sorry," Chelsea stuttered from the floor.  
  
"It's alright, just be more careful next time," the boy scolded. "You're lucky I can't take points off."  
  
"Hey! It's not her fault you were walking backwards and I yelled at her so she turned around too!" Astrid challenged. Chelsea still hadn't moved from her spot on the floor, terrified by the large emerald Boa Constrictor the boy had wrapped around his left arm and draped across his right. The snake's head moved towards Astrid.  
  
"It's not, is it?" the boy asked. Astrid scowled at him.  
  
"No, it's no ones fault," the tiny girl insisted. She crossed her arms across her chest and glared up at the boy.  
  
"You've got to be Draco Malfoy's little sister," the boy said. Astrid's eyebrows knitted together, as she stared up at the boy who was at least 30 centimeters taller than her.  
  
"So," Astrid muttered.  
  
"Ryan Kern, head boy," the boy said. "I'd shake your hand, but." He stopped and looked down at the snake. Astrid simply nodded at it. "I worked with your brother this year. He's a pretty cool guy."  
  
"If you say so," Astrid said. She still hadn't stopped glaring at the former head boy.  
  
"Hey. I'd help your friend up if I could. My hands are kinda full now though, and I need to find someone. She sorta halted my progress," he nodded towards Chelsea.  
  
"What's its name?" Astrid asked, nodding at the snake.  
  
"Contridiction," Ryan replied. "With an I rather than an a."  
  
"What?" Astrid questioned.  
  
"Nevermind," Ryan shrugged.  
  
"Can I touch it?" Astrid asked.  
  
"If you'll help me with something," Ryan replied.  
  
"Okay," Astrid replied. She reached out and delicately ran her fingers over the snake's head.  
  
"Now where do you think I could find Hermione Granger?" he questioned.  
  
"I think she's this way," Astrid said. She stepped around the boy in the corridor and walked back in the direction Ryan had come from. He carefully turned and followed the first year.  
  
"Hermione!" Astrid shrieked when she neared the section of compartments she thought the fifth years might be in.  
  
"In here, Mandrake Jr," Harry joked. Astrid stepped through a door a few down to her right. Ryan followed her and stopped at the doorway. Astrid went to the other side of the compartment and sat down on a seat next to Hermione, despite Ron's indication that he had saved her a seat next to him.  
  
"Hey Ryan," the fifth years chorused.  
  
"Hey Hermione," Ryan said, ignoring Harry and Ron. "Dumbledore wanted to me to find you and give you the plaque from the ministry about your O.W.L.'s results." He carefully turned around so his back was to the group.  
  
"Can someone get it out of my bag or else hold the snake?" he questioned.  
  
"I've got it!" Astrid bounced off the seat and practically ran over to where Ryan stood. She carefully opened his bag and removed the plaque.  
  
"Thanks Astrid," Ryan said, as the first year closed his backpack. He turned back around and she handed the plaque to Hermione.  
  
"No problem," Astrid squeaked.  
  
"Congratulations, Hermione," Ryan said.  
  
"Thanks, Ryan," Hermione replied with a smile.  
  
"So I guess I'll see you guys around. Have fun next year with the new head boy, whoever he is," Ryan said. He stepped backwards and withdrew from the compartment. The door began to shut behind him, but Chelsea stopped it and jumped into the compartment. She flung herself into the seat next to Ron he had reserved for Astrid.  
  
"Who was that guy?" she asked, in the shrill tone of voice only Chelsea could achieve.  
  
"And where has he been all of our lives?" Astrid questioned, turning bright pink as the words left her mouth.  
  
"Definitely, as Alicia would say, eye candy. Too bad we didn't see him before his last day at Hogwarts," Chelsea lamented. Astrid nodded.  
  
"And did you see the size of that snake?" she questioned.  
  
"It was huge!" Chelsea squealed. "And really thick!"  
  
"I got to touch it!" Astrid said with a smile. Ron released a loud snorting noise, his face turned bright red. Harry didn't bother to control his laughter, and Ron quickly joined in. Astrid instantly turned bright pink, while Chelsea wore a look that plainly asked what was so funny.  
  
"So, guys, who is up for Exploding Snap?" Hermione questioned.  
  
*****  
  
"I hope my parents are here," Hermione said. She looked nervously out the window as the train pulled into Kings Cross station.  
  
"Why wouldn't they be?" Harry questioned.  
  
"I haven't heard anything from them lately. I've tried owling them but Sebastian comes back empty taloned. Dumbledore insists they're okay, and I trust them, but at the same time, I'd like to know if mum had the baby and what it is and if they're both okay," Hermione began to ramble. Harry placed an arm around her shoulders.  
  
"Calm down. Dumbledore would have told you if anything was seriously wrong," he assured her. She moved closer to the window. Their exploding snap game had been abandoned nearly an hour before, as Mandy had come to take Ron away from their compartment, and the first years, mainly Sawyer and Chelsea, ran out of attention span. All four had wandered out of the compartment in search of people from their own year.  
  
"But what," Hermione began.  
  
"No, Hermione. No worrying till we get on the platform and they're not there," Harry instructed. Hermione nodded, but moved closer to the window as the train slowed to a stop.  
  
"Do you see them?" she asked. Harry quickly scanned the crowd, looking for Jo's blondish brown hair, or Weston's nearly black hair. He finally caught sight of them standing next to a quite pregnant Narcissa Malfoy near the end of the platform.  
  
"There!" he said, pointing to his best friend's parents.  
  
"You're right, that's them!" Hermione squealed. "Do they have a baby with them?"  
  
"I'm the one wearing glasses here. I couldn't tell you," Harry laughed. Hermione jumped up and down several times.  
  
"Calm down, they're not going anywhere without you," Harry laughed. A magically amplified voice wished them all a good and safe summer, and before Harry could say anything else, Hermione bolted out of the door. He looked over to her trunk and shrugged, before stacking it on top of his and heading towards the door himself.  
  
"MUM!" Hermione screeched. She dodged a group of Ravenclaw first years and danced around Ryan with his Boa still in his arms, nearly fell over a trunk and slammed into a very disgruntled Keiran Malfoy before she reached her parents.  
  
"Hermione!" Jo shrieked. She ran over to meet her daughter and the two caught each other in a magnificent hug right on the edge of the platform.  
  
"Did you have the baby?" Hermione questioned.  
  
"Well I look skinnier, don't I?" Jo questioned.  
  
"Well. Is it alright? What is it? Weston or Jaquenetta?" Hermione tried to dodge around her mother to get to her little sibling. "Did you bring it with you?"  
  
"Didn't you get any of my letters?" Jo questioned. Hermione shook her head, but didn't offer anymore of an explanation, as Weston had just appeared behind Jo. In one hand he held a baby carrier.  
  
"So this is my sibling!" Hermione said. She moved Jo out of her way and stepped over to her father. She looked down at the baby carrier and her face immediately fell. In the carrier lay a small, red-faced baby wearing a bright yellow sundress with small blue daisy's and a bright yellow, floppy hat, with a darker, larger blue daisy on the very front.  
  
"Oh," she said. "A sister." She observed the baby for another moment before kneeling in front of the carrier. She reached out and laced her right index finger through the baby's tiny fist.  
  
"Hi Jaquenetta," she said. "I'm your sister, Hermione. I hope they've told you a bit about me." Only then did Hermione realize Jo was standing on the platform. The baby's face morphed into an attempt at a toothless smile and she released a gurgling coo at her sister.  
  
"Whats wrong, mum?" Hermione asked. She didn't pull her finger from her sister's grasp, but turned to look at their mother anyway.  
  
"Do you REALLY think I'd name a child Jaquenetta?" Jo questioned.  
  
"I dunno mum, my name is Hermione," Hermione reasoned.  
  
"You named your sister, silly," Jo laughed, ignoring Hermione's comment about her own name.  
  
"I did?" Hermione questioned.  
  
"Yes. Meet Samantha Madeline Granger," Weston said.  
  
"Very funny guys," Hermione said.  
  
"No really," Weston replied. "Her name is Samantha Madeline Granger. I will be happy to show you the birth certificate when we get home."  
  
"We thought it would be very sweet if you got to name her," Jo explained.  
  
"Well then the joke is on you guys," Hermione declared.  
  
"Why?" Jo questioned.  
  
"Ron picked the name Samantha," Hermione laughed. Jo's face turned bright red and Weston simply shook his head.  
  
"Hi guys!" came a voice behind them. Hermione turned to see her two best friends approaching on the platform.  
  
"Mum wants to see the baby," Ron declared.  
  
"Don't you guys wanna meet her first?" Hermione questioned.  
  
"Her?" The boys' simultaneous comment came with a resounding sense of dread at the fact that Hermione's little sister was named Jaquenetta.  
  
"Yeah, her," Hermione said. She moved out of the way so Ron and Harry could see Samantha. "I mean, I'd hope you'd want to meet her, Ron, after all, you did name her."  
  
"WHAT?" Ron questioned, quite loudly. Samantha let out another coo at Ron's exclamation.  
  
"Yeah guys, meet Samantha Madeline Granger," Hermione said.  
  
"You named her Samantha?" Ron asked.  
  
"Yes we did. We thought Hermione had picked the name," Weston explained.  
  
"Better than Jaquenetta," Harry declared. Neither boy bothered to kneel for a closer inspection of the baby.  
  
"Come on Ron, let's take her over to see your mum," Hermione said.  
  
"Guys, I think I see Sirius, I guess I'll see you if I get to come to the Burrow this summer," Harry said.  
  
"If?" Ron asked. "And your house is connected to the floo! Just come over whenever!" Harry's eyes widened and his jaw dropped.  
  
"You're right!" He exclaimed. "It is!"  
  
"Fantastic!" He and Ron cried, quite simultaneously. They quickly exchanged a high five.  
  
"Harry!" Sirius called, approaching the group on the platform.  
  
"Sirius!" Harry replied. He turned to his friends. "So I guess I'll be seeing you guys then?" he questioned.  
  
"Of course!" Ron cried.  
  
"We'll see," Hermione replied.  
  
"I'm sure we can arrange something," Jo promised.  
  
"Right then. Bye guys!" he said.  
  
"Bye Harry, stay safe," Hermione let go of Samantha's hand and stood up. She reached up to Harry. He snaked his arms around her waist and they hugged for a moment.  
  
"Bye Hermione," he whispered into her ear, just as he let her go.  
  
"Bye Harry," Ron said. Harry turned to his best friend and the pair quickly exchanged a hand shake.  
  
"See you, man," Harry replied. They stepped closer to each other and patted the other's back before Harry stepped fully away from Ron.  
  
"Nice seeing you again Jo, Mr. Granger, and, uh, nice meeting you, Samantha." Harry said.  
  
"Bye Harry," Hermione and Ron chorused.  
  
"Bye," Harry replied. With that, he turned on his heel and headed off towards Sirius, trunk in tow, and fully prepared for the best summer of his life. 


End file.
